A colorful and tasty spring recipe the is vegetarian with delicate and inviting flavors in an elegant presentation: Crème brûlée of leeks, asparagus, hops, herbs and flowers was created by the Michelin star chef Antonio Ziantoni of Zia Restaurant in Rome – a location designed by New York architect Anton Cristell with an atmosphere that is elegant and understated. Bringing together his passion and years spent honing his craft around the world – including work with Georges Blanc in France and Gordon Ramsey in London – Ziantoni focuses on flavors that bring out the quality of the products he uses.
Ingredients
For the leek cream
For the crème brûlée
For the wild herb salad
Procedure
For the leek cream
Coarsely chop the leeks, fry some oil, a clove of garlic and thyme. Add the leeks and deglaze with vegetable stock or water. Cook for 30 minutes and then blend with a blender.
For the crème brûlée
Pour the milk and cream into a small saucepan. Add the vanilla bean and seeds. Then bring gently to a boil. Meanwhile, place the egg yolks in a bowl along with the sugar and leek cream. Mix with a whisk.
When the milk and cream mixture has come to a boil, remove the vanilla and pour a little at a time into the bowl with the leeks, stirring continuously to obtain a smooth mixture.
For cooking
Pour the mixture into a cocotte and place it in a baking dish with water to create a bain-marie. Bake at 100 degrees for 60 minutes.
Impiattamento
Let cool, cut with a pastry cup, sprinkle with brown sugar and burn with a blowtorch. Lay on a plate and sprinkle with the wild herbs and spring flowers.