DWIGHT Clayton, head chef at The Inn at Stonehall in Worcester, won an AA Rosette for his dynamite creations in the kitchen.

Today he is treating Birmingham Mail to his much-loved recipe for classic creme brulee.

The origins of this dish are unknown but are said to be English not French. A version of creme brulee (known locally as ‘Trinity Cream’ or ‘Cambridge burnt cream’) was introduced at Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1879 with the college arms ‘impressed on top of the cream with a branding iron’.

Dwight’s version is half milk and half cream, not double cream, which makes it lighter.

* Creme Brulee

Ingredients:

45mls double cream
450mls semi skimmed milk
2 vanilla pods
125g castor sugar
12 egg yolks
Extra sugar for glazing

Method:

Split the vanilla pods and scrape out the seeds. Put the vanilla pods, seeds, milk and cream into a thick-bottomed pan. Heat slowly to allow the vanilla to infuse. Beat the egg yolks with the castor sugar until the eggs are fluffy and light yellow in colour. When the milk has reached the boil, pour it into the eggs beating at the same time. Return all of it to a clean pan and stir over a gentle heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Do not let the liquid boil.

Pour through a fine sieve into a clean bowl. Leave for a few minutes to cool then pour the mixture into ramekins up to a centimetre from the top.

Place on to a tray then fill the tray with water to halfway up the ramekins. Cover with foil, piercing the outside edges.

Place in a pre-heated oven at 140 degrees centigrade for 30-40 mins. They are ready if you can tap the side of the ramekin and get a gentle wobble!

When cooked, place on a surface for an hour to cool. To serve sprinkle the tops with sugar and glaze using a blow torch.

Serve at room temperature, not from the fridge, with strawberries and shortbread.

* The Inn at Stonehall, Stonehall Common, Worcestershire. Phone 01905 820462 or visit www.theinnatstonehall.com