Fill the Ninja Foodi inner pot with 14 cups of water or fill your sous vide container with enough water to cover the jars.
Turn the Ninja Foodi on and select the Sous Vide Function or place your circulator into the water bath container. Set the temperature to 180℉/80°C and hit start.
Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and set the yolks to the side. You can use the whites in another recipe or freeze them for later use.
Measure out the remaining ingredients
Making the Custard
In a 4-cup Measuring bowl or large bowl combine the egg yolks with the sugar and whisk to combine.
5 large egg yolks, ⅓ cup granulated white sugar
Add in the vanilla extract and the vanilla bean paste along with the salt and whisk to combine.
½ tablespoon vanilla extract, ½ tablespoon vanilla bean paste, ¼ teaspoon fine grind sea salt or kosher salt
Slowly add in the heavy cream about ¾ cup at a time and whisk between additions of the cream.
2 cups heavy whipping cream
Pour the custard into the 4 ounce jars until it just about reaches the top. I like to leave about ¼" at the top. Put the jar lids on and tighten just finger tight. Meaning don't use your wrist or any strength to tighten the jars. You want to keep the water out, but allow the air bubbles and steam to escape.
Sous Vide
Once the water bath has reached 180°F, but is not higher than 182°F, lower your jars with the custard into the water bath. I like to use the rack in the low position when using the Ninja Foodi.
Sous vide for 1 hour. When the time is up, remove the jars and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours. I like to make these the day before serving and refrigerate overnight.
Brûlée the Top
About 30 minutes before serving, remove the jars from the refrigerator. This allows them to warm up slightly and the glass will acclimate to room temperature so it doesn't experience thermal shock and break when you use the torch.
5-10 minutes before serving, sprinkle ½ Tablespoon of sugar over the top of the custard and shake the jar to make sure it is equally distributed. Shake off any excess into a discard bowl. You only want a thin layer of sugar, but I found adding more and then getting rid of the excess insures equal coverage and makes it much easier to caramelize.
Using a kitchen torch, being to caramelize the sugar. Keep the torch about 3" away from the sugar and go in a back and forth or circular motion all around the top of the custard until you start to see the sugar brown and bubble. Make sure not to leave the torch in any one spot more than a few seconds or the sugar can burn. Once the sugar is golden brown from edge to edge and slightly bubbling, turn the torch off and let the creme brulee sit for about 5 minutes. Repeat for the remaining jars.
Top with your favorite fresh fruit and mint leaves. My favorite is fresh raspberries or blueberries. Serve & Enjoy!
You can omit the vanilla bean paste and use 1 Tablespoon of vanilla extract
Tips for using the Sous Vide Function on the TWO lid models of Ninja Foodi/Instant PotsWhen using the sous vide function at higher temperatures like this recipe calls for, sometimes the pin on the pressure lid will pop up even though the lid is vented. This causes the lid to be locked in place and the only option is turn the Foodi off and let it cool down. If this happens before you add the food, it can be very problematic. To avoid this, use a glass lid instead of the pressure lid or simply cover the pot with foil to hold in the heat, but without the risk of the lid getting locked in place. This is not an issue with the SmartLid models of the Ninja Foodi.