Torch It!

Setting fire to your food never sounds like a great idea. Many of us have averted kitchen disasters when this happened—but it certainly wasn’t the goal! Still, there are times when turning on a flame to your food is not only sanctioned, but actually required to get the job done right. And when those moments present themselves, no matter how seldom, having the right tool at hand is incredibly helpful to ensure that the results do not end up charred and inedible, and hopefully with no calls to the fire department. As we just celebrated Lag B’Omer and are entering grilling season, let’s focus on how to do that safely.

The moment you create a perfectly caramelized Crème Brûlée—smooth and custardy bottom, thin and crackly sugar-glass top—is the moment that having a specialty gadget becomes worth its weight. Kitchen professionals have long used culinary torches for small jobs that need fast, but delicate precision. Powered by butane, a chef’s torch is an efficient way to quickly and evenly caramelize and brown the top of a dish without subjecting the whole dish to the intense heat needed to accomplish the task. For a delicate, chilled custard dish like Crème Brûlée, this is a perfect solution. But there are many other recipes that benefit from a little fire that can give your dish a professional finish.

{What other dishes are there?

Beyond Crème Brûlée, the culinary torch is very effective at gently browning a meringue top for pies (think S’mores Pie) or Baked Alaska, or toasting marshmallow-topped desserts. Be sure to try the torch when browning cheeses, think crisp and brown cheese blanketing a French Onion Soup, Potato gratin, or the crumb topping on Macaroni & Cheese. Make a Grapefruit Brûlée, caramelizing a layer of sugar over grapefruit halves—a simple yet delicious treatment.

How does this gadget work?

Small canisters of butane propellant (sold separately) refill the unit. A small nozzle fits into the bottom of the torch, fueling it with a bouncing motion. After a few minutes of rest (to allow the gas to stabilize), release the safety switch and ignite the flame by pressing down on the big button with your thumb. Once ignited, hold the flame about an inch from the food to brown or caramelize it. Most torches have levers or controls to regulate the flame width and length. The flame flow will stop if you cease pressing the igniter button.

Flame It Safe!

• Be smart and exercise with caution.
• Be careful to remove unnecessary flammable objects from your work area.
• Paper objects can catch and plastics can melt.
• Think ahead and plan accordingly regarding the vessel your food will be in when torching.
• Store your torch out of the reach of children. Kids think this tool is super cool, but it’s not a toy and you must carefully supervise it.

It may take a bit of practice to get a feel for the correct distance and strength of the flame, but once you do, the torch can become a useful item in your cache of culinary tools, and a fun gadget too!

S’mores Cookie Cups

Scoop your favorite chocolate chip cookie dough recipe into metal baking cups (or a muffin tin). Press to flatten and bake at 300°F for about 18-20 minutes (the low temp will keep it on the chewier, softer side). Remove from oven and sprinkle with chopped chocolate or chocolate chips. Allow chocolate to sit and melt on the hot cookies for 5 minutes, then spread to the edges. Top with mini marshmallows. Torch until slightly browned and charred before serving. This can also be done under a broiler, but watch carefully to prevent burning! 

Naomi Ross is a cooking instructor and food writer based in Woodmere, NY. She teaches classes throughout the country and writes articles connecting good cooking and Jewish inspiration. Her first cookbook, The Giving Table, was released in December 2022.  Follow her at @naomirosscooks on Instagram/FB/TikTok or visit NaomiRossCooks.com.