Rich runny custard
“Perhaps the most apposite symbol of spring is the egg...”
- 200g of sugar
- 12 egg yolks
- 1 litre of fresh cream
- 1 tsp of vanilla essence
In the cook's universe, the egg is the essential binding ingredient. It traps air, liquid and fat. It sets when heated, though because of the different kinds of proteins in the white and yolk, each part behaves differently when cooked. At lower temperatures, the white makes meringue and souffle light and fluffy. At higher temperatures the yolk produces silky-smooth custard and light-as-air zabaglione. Indeed, without the egg, many of the things we whip up in the kitchen would not be possible.
Method
Whisk 200g of sugar with 12 egg yolks until the mixture turns pale and creamy. Heat 1 litre of fresh cream until almost at the boil. Add slowly to the egg mixture while whisking well, then return to the saucepan. On a medium-low heat, stir constantly until the custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
Transfer to a bowl, add 1 tsp of vanilla essence and allow the hot custard to cool to room temperature before refrigerating.
To serve
Add to cakes, Christmas puddings
and panettone. Keeps for a week in the refrigerator.
