Custard is a sweet sauce made with eggs, cream and fresh vanilla. It is usually used in fine restaurants to decorate and enrich pastries and other desserts, adding richness or contrast and improving the flavor of the dish or its presentation. It is as delicious served in a bowl with strawberries as it is poured over a slice of dark chocolate cake. Take a look at the first step to understand how to prepare it.
Ingrediants
- 500 ml of whole milk
- 6 tablespoons of sugar
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 vanilla pod
- Special tools: for cooking in a double boiler or double kettle
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare the Ingredients
Step 1. Open the vanilla pod
Score it in the center lengthwise with a sharp knife. Be careful not to cut it from side to side. If you do this correctly, the splint will have one side open while the other will remain closed. This will allow the internal seeds to come out and flavor the custard.
- You can find vanilla pods in specialty kitchen stores or those that sell high-quality foods. You can also order them online.
- The longer the vanilla pod, the stronger the flavor in the sauce. Look for 5-10cm sticks for this recipe.
- If you don't have a vanilla pod, add half a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- As an alternative, try orange or lemon custard. Just replace the vanilla pod with the peel of 1 orange or 1 lemon.
Step 2. Turn on the bain marie tool
Fill it with 5-8 cm of water and place a metal bowl or frying pan on it.
- The bain marie tool, also called a double kettle, consists of a saucepan contained in another. The bottom one contains water, while the other contains the food you are cooking.
- The purpose of the double kettle is to heat food at a low temperature. If you don't have it, fill a saucepan with 5-8 cm of water and place a metal bowl or another saucepan on it.
Step 3. Separate the egg whites from the yolks
Place two containers on a flat surface, one for the egg whites and the other for the yolks. Hold your hand over the container for whites and break the shell. Let the egg white slip through your fingers, but don't let the yolk fall. Put the egg yolks in the special container.
- Repeat this process for the rest of the eggs (6 total) until you have separated all the yolks from the whites.
- You can also separate the eggs by holding the egg split open in two over a bowl and sliding the yolk from one side of the shell to the other so that the egg white falls into the bowl. Then put the yolk in the other container.
Part 2 of 3: Mix the English Cream
Step 1. Whisk together the sugar and egg yolks
Place the egg yolks and 6 tablespoons of sugar in a medium-sized metal bowl. Beat them vigorously with a whisk until light yellow and fluffy. You can also use an electric hand mixer.
Step 2. Heat the milk with the vanilla pod
Put 500 ml of milk and the vanilla pod in a small pan. Heat it over medium-low heat until it gets very hot, but doesn't boil. Take it off the heat.
- You can tell that the milk is hot by looking at the edges of the saucepan. When you see the steam starting to rise from the point where the milk touches the edge of the pan, it's time to remove it from the heat.
- If you want a richer sauce, use 500ml cream. For a less rich sauce, use only milk or 250ml of milk and 250ml of cream.
Step 3. Stir the boiling milk into the egg and sugar mixture
Slowly pour the milk into the bowl containing the egg yolks and sugar, continuing to beat with the whisk. Continue until the mixture is completely homogeneous.
Step 4. Pour the sauce into the double boiler
Make sure the water in the second saucepan is simmering, then pour the egg, sugar, and milk mixture into the top saucepan (or bowl, if you made the tool yourself).
Step 5. Cook the sauce slowly
Stir continuously with a silicone spatula. Don't let the sauce get too hot or it may clot. Continue stirring until thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, then remove it from the stove.
Part 3 of 3: Serve the English Cream
Step 1. Allow the custard to cool
It should always be served very cold, never hot. Pour the sauce into a glass container and put it in the refrigerator. Serve it only when it has cooled completely. You can also prepare it the day before and take it out of the fridge when you have to put it on the table.
Step 2. Serve it with a slice of cake
It's a classic way to serve custard, as it helps create a delicious balance with chocolate or other types of cakes. Pour some of the sauce into a dessert plate, so that it spreads out to form a shallow pool. Place the slice of cake on top of the custard. For a perfect presentation, top it with another drop of cream, a berry coulis or a chocolate syrup.
Step 3. Serve with a sorbet
The light and creamy custard pairs perfectly with a spoonful of sour sorbet such as lime, raspberry or peach. Pour some custard into a sorbet dish, then place a scoop of sorbet in the middle of the dish. Finish with a sprig of mint to add an extra touch of style.
Step 4. Serve with fruit
If you want a light and delicious dessert, serve the custard with chopped fruit. Try strawberries for a more sophisticated version of the classic strawberries with cream. It is also perfect with blackberries, cherries and mango slices.
Advice
- To make fresh vanilla ice cream, freeze the custard.
- To make making custard even faster, replace cooking in a double boiler with a heavy saucepan. However, be very careful when using this method, as the sauce made in the saucepan may go crazy or burn more easily.
