Crème caramel

In a saucepan bring the sugar and 3 tbsp water to a simmer, swirling the pan until the sugar dissolves and the syrup is crystal clear.

Cover over medium-high heat for about a minute, peeking; once the bubbles thicken, keep boiling and swirling until it turns a light caramel brown.

Pour half the caramel into the charlotte mold and tilt to line the inside, rewarming it if it firms up.

Add about 100 ml water to the remaining caramel in the pan and simmer 2 to 3 minutes until the caramel dissolves into a syrup; set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl by hand.

Heat the milk in a saucepan.

Add the whole eggs a little at a time.

Stream in the hot milk gradually, stirring rather than beating to minimise foam, to dissolve the sugar.

Stir in the vanilla and a pinch of salt.

Pour the custard through a strainer into the caramel-lined mold, removing foam and any eggshell; skim the bubbles off the top.

Set the mold in a larger baking dish, put it in the oven and fill the outer dish with boiling water halfway up the mold.

Bake at 350F for 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes, keeping the water at a simmer and never a boil or the custard turns grainy.

After 45 minutes check: the center should slightly tremble, and a skewer poked an inch from the edge should come out clean. In this video it baked about 1 hour 20 minutes.

Cool about half an hour, run a knife around the edges and unmold; reheat the reserved caramel syrup to pour over.