Posted by hans on July 05, 1998 at 05:29:52:
In Reply to: A Problem and a Bet.... posted by Celeste Roberts on July 05, 1998 at 01:10:24:
: First off...I have a bet with a few of my Co-workers about creme brulee. The question is wether or not creme brulee was first caramelized classically, by the French with a "conventional" broiler, a branding iron, or with a blow torch (of all things)! I say that it was with a broiler, which was what brings me to my second problem. I'm a 25 year old female in this industry and I don't expect my co-workers to respect me just because I went to culinary school, after all I am a career changer and I realize that I have a lot to learn. I just don't feel as if I'm being taken seriously. I feel that I have a lot of valued ideas and a few tricks that I've learned from part-time jobs during school. This whole creme brulee thing is just the tip of the iceberg. I actually had to fight for months just to get a few stations (from the pantry..a woman's place in this restaraunt)down the line to show them exactly what I could do. If there are any chefs out there who know the answer to the creme brulee bet, and a few women chefs (or men with open minds) out there, please reply.
First off, Celeste... Creme Brulee was around long before the invention of gas or electric socalled conventional broilers. People during "classical times" were still cooking on a hearth and baked with wood fired ovens. Any gratineeing would be done with a heavy round iron, heated red hot in the fire. Blowtorches are also a fairly recent invention but seem to work best as far as caramelizing the sugar without heating the cream itself.
Hope that answers your question. And take it easy on the guys, you might alienate them with too much knowledge. They are happy in their chauvinistic jungle, don't overwhelm them.
Sincerely,
HWK, CMC