Into a bowl whisk the egg yolks, a pinch of salt and the sugar together until it’s nice and homogeneous. Do not overmix. Set aside.
Split the vanilla pod(s) with a sharp knife all the way down through the middle and scrape the seeds out with the blade of the knife. Cut the vanilla beans pods into chunks. Add to the cream.
Place a pan over medium heat and pour in the cream. Bring this to boiling point but do not allow it to boil.
Pour the cream over the egg and sugar mixture. Whisk this together until it feels that the sugar has completely dissolved. Discard the vanilla pods at this point if you have used them.
Pour the crème brûlée mixture into ramekins (or one dish) and put those into a deep baking tray.
Pour hot water until the water will reach halfway up the ramekins (submerging these or the one dish). This is called a bain-marie. It is best to pour the water after placing the tray into the oven - it may be easier.
Bake these for about 35-40 minutes at 150°C /300°F or until they are set firm but still jiggle in the middle.
Allow to cool and if you don’t serve them immediately refrigerate them right up until serving.
Just before serving sprinkle over the rest of the sugar and use a blowtorch to caramelize the sugar into a thin top layer.