Creme Caramel

Combine the caramel sugar and water in a small, light-colored saucepan. Stir once to dissolve, then stop stirring entirely. Place over medium-high heat. The sugar will bubble, then color. Swirl the pan gently — never stir — to ensure even browning. Remove from heat when it reaches a deep amber. Immediately pour into ramekins and swirl to coat the bottoms.

Combine milk with the split vanilla bean and its scraped seeds in a saucepan. Heat over medium until steam rises and small bubbles form at the edge — do not boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let the vanilla steep for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla pod.

Whisk eggs and custard sugar together gently — combine them without creating foam. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg mixture in a thin stream, whisking constantly. This tempers the eggs so they do not scramble. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a pouring vessel. Let any bubbles settle for 5 minutes.

Pour custard into caramel-lined ramekins, filling to 5mm below the rim. Place ramekins in a deep baking dish and pour hot water into the dish until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake at 150 C (300 F) for 50-60 minutes. The water bath insulates the custard from direct heat, preventing curdling.

Cool ramekins to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. To unmold: run a thin knife around the edge, place a plate on top, and invert confidently in one motion. The caramel will have liquefied in the fridge and will pour down the sides as a sauce.