You really do need to use fresh bay leaves here, dried ones just don’t have the sweet, herbal note you are looking for. Bay leaves can be found at many grocery stores or join the adventure club and grow your own bay tree. I had one for about 7 years in my garden before it was killed during a cold spell a few years ago. Now, I have one happily growing in a pot on my back deck, which I can bring in the house if the weather turns too cold.
2 cups of whole milk
2 cups of heavy cream
12 fresh bay laurel leaves
1/2 of a vanilla bean, split and pulp scraped out
3 large eggs
5 large egg yolks
3/4 cup of sugar plus an additional 1/4 cup for the brûlée top
Pinch of salt
Pour the milk and the cream into a medium, heavy bottom saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Just as it begins to boil, coarsely tear the bay leaves and add them to the milk and cream mixture. Remove from heat. Add the vanilla pulp and pod, stir to combine and allow to steep for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Using a whisk, beat the eggs, egg yolks, 3/4 cup of granulated sugar and the pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in the milk mixture until well combined and then strain through a fine mesh sieve and discard the bay leaves and vanilla pod.
Pour the custard into eight, six ounce ramekins and then set them in a shallow baking pan that has been filled with one inch of hot water. Carefully place them in the preheated oven on the centre rack and cook them until just set about 40 minutes. They will still be just a bit jiggly in the centre but will firm up in the fridge.
Remove from the water bath and chill in the refrigerator until the custards are set, at least two hours or overnight.
To serve, spread 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly on the top of each ramekin and using a blowtorch heat the sugar until it caramelizes evenly. Allow to sit at room temperature for a couple of minutes until the caramelized sugar hardens. Serve.
Serves 8.
Recipe from The Herbfarm Cookbook by Jerry Traunfeld.