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1
Preheat the oven to 325F.
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2
Bring a kettle of water to a boil.
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3
Combine the cream and vanilla bean and cook over low heat just until hot to the touch (an instant-read thermometer will read 120 degrees or so).
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4
Let sit for a few minutes, then discard the vanilla bean.
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5
(If youre using vanilla extract, add it now.)
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6
Beat the yolks and sugar together until light.
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7
Stir about a quarter of the cream into this mixture, then pour the sugar-egg mixture into the cream and stir.
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8
Pour into four 6-ounce ramekins and place the ramekins in a baking dish or roasting pan; fill the dish with boiling water halfway up the side of the dishes.
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9
Bake for about 30 minutes (start checking after 20), or until the center is barely set.
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10
Cool or wrap tightly and chill for up to a couple of days.
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11
When youre ready to serve, set up a broiler so that the tops of the ramekins will be no more than 3 inches from the heat source; 2 inches is better.
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12
(If your broiler is in your oven, it may be helpful to rest a broiling pan or even a casserole upside down on the rack to achieve the proper height.)
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13
Do not preheat the broiler.
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14
Cover the top of each custard with a thin layer of sugarabout a teaspoon each is right.
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15
Turn on the broiler and put the ramekins under the heat; arrange them so that the heat hits the tops of all of them evenly.
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16
(If necessary, brown in batches; it takes only a couple of minutes anyway.)
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17
Cook until the sugar melts and blackens a bit, about 5 minutes, then remove.
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18
Serve within an hour.
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19
Spain: Replace the vanilla bean with the grated zest of a lemon and a cinnamon stick (or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon).
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20
Remove the cinnamon stick before adding the yolks to the cream.
