Mastering Ramekin Cooking
Whether you are pulling a soufflé from the heat or portioning out a custard, the ramekin is your most reliable tool for control. It turns a large, messy batch into a precise, individual experience.
Heat retention is the goal
Ramekins are often thicker than standard baking dishes. Expect your food to continue cooking for a minute or two after you pull them out of the oven.
- Ceramic or porcelain ramekins
- Baking sheet
- Pastry brush
- Tongs
What goes in.
- 1 tbspunsalted butter (for coating)
Vertical Brushing
When buttering ramekins for soufflés or cakes, brush the butter in vertical strokes from bottom to rim. This creates microscopic tracks that help the batter climb the walls as it rises.
The method.
Coat the interior
Use a pastry brush to apply a thin, even layer of softened butter to the inside of the ramekin. If the recipe requires a crust, dust the buttered surface with flour or sugar and tap out the excess.
Set on a tray
Never place individual ramekins directly on the oven rack. Arrange them on a heavy-gauge baking sheet so you can move them in and out of the oven as one unit.
Monitor the center
Because these hold heat well, pull them when the edges are set but the very center still shows a slight wobble. Carry-over heat will finish the cooking.
Remove safely
Use tongs to lift them off the hot baking sheet onto a cooling rack. The sides remain searing hot long after the top looks ready.
Other turns to take.
The Bain-Marie
Place ramekins in a larger roasting pan filled with boiling water halfway up the sides to ensure gentle, indirect heat for custards.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Match the ramekin size to your recipe; if you use a larger size than intended, decrease the oven temperature by 25 degrees.
Store ramekins with a piece of parchment paper between them to prevent chipping the glazed rims.
If your dish sticks, run a thin paring knife around the edge only after it has cooled for three minutes.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use glass ramekins?
Yes, but glass conducts heat differently than ceramic. Check your bake five minutes earlier, as the edges will brown faster.
Why do my ramekins crack?
Thermal shock. Avoid moving them directly from a freezing refrigerator into a hot oven.