Purin

Ingredients

Preheat oven to 300°F. Boil 3–4 cups water and keep hot.
Make the caramel: combine 70g sugar and room-temperature water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low. Let dissolve without stirring. Increase heat to medium. Swirl the pan occasionally — do not use a utensil. When amber and smoking slightly, remove from heat. Carefully add hot water via a spatula (it will sputter). Swirl to combine. Immediately pour into molds.
Heat milk, cream, and vanilla in a saucepan until just before simmering. Remove from heat.
Whisk eggs in a large bowl until smooth. Add 70g sugar and mix. Slowly pour in the hot milk mixture while whisking continuously.
Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Divide into molds. Pop surface bubbles with a lighter flame or toothpick.
Place molds in a baking dish. Add hot water halfway up the sides of the molds (bain-marie). Bake at 300°F for 35–45 minutes until set but still jiggly.
Cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
To serve: run a knife around the edge, place a plate on top, and flip.

Strain the custard — even if you think it’s smooth, there are always lumps.
Use a candle lighter to pop surface bubbles before baking. Much faster than a toothpick.
The bain-marie is essential for gentle, even heat. Without it you’ll get honeycomb-like holes in the custard (called “su” in Japanese — considered a failure).
Thicker ceramic ramekins need longer baking (45–60 minutes). Thin aluminum or stainless steel molds cook faster.
Check doneness by tilting the mold — the custard should jiggle but not flow.
Don’t overcook. The residual heat will finish setting the custard.
Keeps refrigerated 3–4 days in the molds. Unmold just before serving.
Stovetop alternative: place molds in a pot of simmering water, cover with a towel-wrapped lid, simmer 10 minutes on low, then turn off heat and let sit covered 10 more minutes.