Creme Caramel Slice

1.Crème Caramel Mixture - 700 g milk - 1 lemon zest - 1 orange zest - 1 vanilla bean split and deseeded - 190 g eggs - 120 g egg yolks - 200 g caster sugar - 300 g caster sugar - 176 g water

2.Preheat your oven to 160°C/320°F.

3.Heat the milk with the vanilla bean plus seeds, lemon and orange zest in a saucepan over medium heat until it simmers. Take off the heat and let it infuse for 1 hour.

4.Melt 300g of caster sugar with 176g water over medium heat in a separate saucepan, occasionally stirring until it reaches a golden-brown colour. Once caramelized, carefully pour it into a deep dish pan with a diameter of 25cm, swirling the pan to ensure the caramel coats the bottom and sides evenly.

5.Whisk the eggs and egg yolks until smooth in a mixing bowl, add sugar, and continue to whisk until well incorporated.

6.Reheat the infused milk until it just begins to simmer. Immediately remove the heat and quickly whisk into the egg mixture to combine.

7.Pour the custard mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Skim off any bubbles and dissipate them carefully with a torch before adding the hot liquid into the deep-sided dish over the hardened caramel.

8.Place the deep-sided dish in a larger baking dish and fill the dish with enough hot water to come halfway up the sides. Cover lightly with aluminium foil and poke with small holes to allow some of the steam to escape.

9.Bake the custard for 20-30 minutes or until just set. It should have a uniform jiggle but not be firm. Check it 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time.

10.Remove the dish from the water bath and let it cool to room temperature.

11.Once cooled, cover the dish with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours or overnight.

12.To serve, run a knife around the edge of the dish and invert over a large tray dish.

13.Gently scrape off the caramel sauce from the top and around the edges of the caramel pudding into a container.

14.Scrape any remaining caramel sauce from the tin into the container. If most of the caramel sauce is still solidified in the tin, gently heat it in the oven and add a touch of water to thin it out, then transfer it to the container.

15.Strain the sauce through a fine sieve to remove custard bits, creating a smooth caramel sauce.

16.Cut the pudding into desired shapes to create eight slices by cutting it in half, quarters, and eighths. Alternatively, slice it differently to achieve more slices if desired. For equal pieces, consider checking online for correct slicing techniques. Note that the slices will be slimmer if you opt for more pieces.

17.Enjoy!