Crème brûlée baked without a water bath

Press the vanilla bean flat, slit it tip to tip and scrape out the paste with the back of a paring knife.

Add the paste and the pod to the cream in a two-quart saucepan; heat over medium to about 150F without boiling, then kill the heat and steep 10 minutes.

Put the sugar and salt in a medium bowl; separate the 10 eggs by hand, letting the whites fall through the fingers, and add the yolks. Whisk to combine.

Pour about half the hot cream through a fine mesh strainer into the yolks, whisking immediately to temper; add the rest and whisk.

Strain the custard again to catch any cooked bits of yolk, scraping in all the vanilla.

Fill four ramekins to the inner lip, about 12 ounces each.

Kiss the tops lightly with a butane torch to pop surface bubbles (optional).

Wrap each ramekin tightly with plastic wrap to trap the steam in place of a water bath; poke once with a cake tester to vent a little steam.

Bake on a sheet tray in a preheated 215 degree oven, about the boiling point of water, for about two hours, until set with a slight jiggle and about 170F or a little higher inside.

Rest 15 minutes at room temperature, then refrigerate at least two hours, preferably overnight.

Top each with about three tablespoons sugar in the raw and torch three to four minutes to a dark, even caramel crust just short of burning.