📖 Instructions

1. First, make the custard. In a medium saucepan, gently heat the cream, milk, and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Don't let it boil—we're aiming for a warm, happy cream, not a bubbling inferno!
2. Remove from the heat and zest one of the blood oranges into the warm cream. Be gentle—you only want the fragrant outer layer, not the bitter white pith. Trust me, I learned this the hard way once, it was a disaster!
3. Lightly whisk in the egg yolks. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to ensure it's smooth and silky smooth. That's the key to a perfect, luscious texture.
4. Next, juice your blood oranges. You'll need about 1 cup of juice. If your oranges aren't very juicy, you might need an extra one or two. I've found the amount can vary wildly sometimes.
5. Gently whisk the blood orange juice into the strained custard mixture. Try to do this gently, don't be too vigorous or you might end up with bubbles.
6. Divide the mixture evenly among eight ramekins. Place the ramekins into a larger baking dish. Pour hot water into the baking dish until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. This is called a bain-marie and it makes for a super-smooth, melt-in-your-mouth custard.
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 325°F (160°C) for 45-50 minutes, or until the custards are just set around the edges. The centers should still have a slight jiggle. If you shake them and it wobbles slightly...you're golden! If they are too jiggly, add another 5-10 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and let the custards cool completely before covering them with plastic wrap and refrigerating for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight. Patience is a virtue, especially in crème brûlée making.
9. Once chilled, sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar over the top of each custard. Using a kitchen torch, carefully caramelize the sugar until golden brown. If you're using a broiler, watch it VERY carefully, those things get hot in a hurry!
10. Finally, sprinkle with chopped pistachios and serve immediately. Enjoy! Maybe with a nice cup of tea or coffee. Or even a glass of something stronger. You deserve it!