Crème Brûlée

Preheat oven to 300°F. Combine cream with vanilla bean and salt in a medium saucepan and simmer over medium heat until surface begins to shimmer, about 5 minutes.

Beat egg yolks and granulated sugar with a wooden spoon in a large heatproof bowl. Slowly pour in hot cream mixture, stirring gently. Strain custard through a mesh sieve into a large measuring cup; skim off any bubbles.

Arrange 8 shallow 4 1/2-inch-wide ramekins in a roasting pan (see Note above). Slowly pour custard into ramekins, filling almost to top. Set roasting pan in center of oven and carefully pour in enough hot water to reach halfway up sides of ramekins. Cover pan loosely with foil and bake until custards are firm at the edges but still a bit wobbly in the center, about 1 hour.

Transfer ramekins to a wire rack to cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.

Preheat broiler to high. Place ramekins on a baking sheet and gently blot surfaces of custards to remove any condensation. Using a small sieve, sift 2 teaspoons of turbinado sugar over each custard in a thin, even layer, tilting ramekins as needed. Broil custards as close to heat as possible until sugar is evenly caramelized, 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Let cool slightly until sugar hardens and serve at once.