Chocolate Pot De Crème Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Arrange six 4–6 oz ramekins in a deep roasting pan (large enough for a water bath).

Place the chopped bittersweet chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the whole milk and heavy cream. Warm over medium heat just until it begins to steam and small bubbles form around the edge — do not boil.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, granulated sugar, and salt until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened (about 30 seconds).

Temper the yolks: slowly pour 1/3 of the hot milk-cream mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly to raise their temperature without scrambling them. Then pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the remaining milk-cream in the saucepan, whisking to combine.

Place the saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of the spatula (registers about 170–175°F / 77–80°C). Do not let it boil or simmer vigorously.

Remove the custard from heat and immediately pour it over the chopped chocolate. Let sit 1 minute to melt the chocolate, then whisk until completely smooth and glossy. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup or bowl to remove any cooked bits and ensure a silky texture.

Divide the chocolate custard evenly among the prepared ramekins (about 4–6 oz each). Cover each ramekin loosely with foil.

Pour hot water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins to create a bain-marie. Carefully transfer the pan to the preheated oven.

Bake until the centers are just set but still slightly wobbly when nudged, 25–30 minutes depending on oven and ramekin size. A thermometer inserted near the center should read about 175°F (79°C) when done.

Remove ramekins from the water bath and let cool on a wire rack until they reach room temperature. Then refrigerate, uncovered or lightly covered, for at least 2 hours and up to 48 hours to finish setting.

While the pots de crème are chilling (or up to 30 minutes before serving), segment the blood oranges: trim the top and bottom, cut away the peel and white pith with a sharp knife, then cut between the membranes to release individual segments into a bowl. Save any bowl juice.

Toss the blood orange segments with the 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar and the grated orange zest. Allow to macerate for 10–20 minutes to draw out juices and mellow the tartness.

To serve, spoon 2–3 macerated blood orange segments on top of each chilled chocolate pot de crème and drizzle a little of the reserved maceration juice if desired for brightness.

Lightly dust each pot de crème with a pinch of unsweetened cocoa powder and garnish with a small mint leaf, if using.