Make the budino at least a few
hours ahead – or a few days in
advance and keep in the fridge.
Melt the butter in a Dutch
oven or heavy-based pan over
a medium heat and add the
brown sugar. Cook, stirring
often, with a rubber spatula,
until the sugar smells toasty and
gives off tiny wisps of smoke.
Switch to a whisk and, while
whisking gently, carefully add
the cream. Don’t worry – some
of the caramel will seize up a bit.
Increase the heat to medium
and whisk until all the sugar has
dissolved and the mixture looks
smooth. Aim to get the whisk
into the corners as it’s bubbling
to dislodge any stuck sugar.
While the caramel is melting
in the cream, put the egg yolks
into the bowl of a stand mixer
fitted with the whisk attachment.
Whisk on medium-high for
2 minutes or until thickened and
pale yellow. Turn to a low speed
and slowly stream in 480ml of
the hot caramel mixture, 60ml at
a time, to temper the egg. Take
care not to add the caramel too
quickly or it will cook the egg.
With a rubber spatula, scrape
the tempered egg mixture into
the pan with the remaining
caramel mixture, then add the
salt and vanilla and stir over a
low heat with the spatula.
Meanwhile, soak the gelatine
sheets in ice water for up to 10 minutes, but no more.
Continue stirring the budino
for 4-5 minutes until it is thick
and reaches 82C on an cook’s
thermometer – the moment it
hits this temperature, remove it from the heat. Squeeze any
excess water out of the gelatine
sheets, add them to the budino
and whisk to incorporate. Strain
the budino through a conical
sieve into a 22x33cm baking tin,
or into a container from which
you can pour it into individual
95ml moulds.
Cover the top of the warm
custard with baking paper,
pressing it against the surface
to prevent a skin forming, and
put in the fridge for at least
6 hours, or preferably overnight.
To make the topping, preheat
the oven to 180C/160C F/Gas 4.
Arrange the hazelnuts in a single
layer on a baking tray and toast
in the oven for 12-15 minutes,
shaking the pan and swirling
the nuts with a spoon every few
minutes, until lightly browned.
Transfer to a plate, allow to cool,
then crush into large pieces
with the bottom of a pan – it’s
fine if a few whole nuts remain.
Pour the cream into a mixing
bowl and whisk by hand until
soft peaks form. Add the vanilla,
whisk a bit more and set aside.
To serve, discard the baking
paper and scoop out a few
spoonfuls of the budino into
individual bowls (unless you
made single portions). Top with
whipped double cream, the
hazelnuts and some sea salt
flakes. Finish with the feuilletine
and chocolate shavings, if using.
RECIPES AND PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN FROM THE FOUR HORSEMEN BY NICK CURTOLA AND GABE ULLA, PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID MALOSH (ABRAMS, £30).
