If you like the idea of living on the culinary edge, why not master the skill of making custard? Use the best possible ingredients available to you, and the recipe and method given here should produce a luscious custard that will sit on a plate very nicely alongside a delicious pudding.
This recipe uses vanilla as a flavouring, but you could use Amaretto, which would be good with Raspberry and Almond Dessert Cake, or Calvados perhaps with Apple Dessert Cake.
And what to do with those egg whites? Well, there is always Pavlova or apparently, they can be used to make a beautifying face mask or to clean leather! Egg whites can be frozen for up to three months in freezer bags or trays but be sure to label the quantities carefully (it’s almost impossible to tell how many you have otherwise) and defrost them thoroughly in the fridge before using.
Makes about 500mls which is enough for 6-8 but you could halve the recipe if you need less.
400ml fresh organic whole milk
6 fresh organic free-range egg yolks
40g caster sugar
Vanilla extract or other flavouring.
- Put the milk in a sturdy pan and set it over low heat until it just starts to boil.
- Remove the pan from the heat.
- Whisk the egg yolks together with the sugar in a bowl and then add the hot milk, stirring well.
- Wash and dry the pan used to heat the milk. This may sound over the top but if you don’t the inevitable residual milk in the pan will burn, and it will spoil the custard, so don’t be tempted to cut corners here.
- Return the custard mixture to the cleaned pan and set it over medium heat. Stir the custard with a wooden spoon constantly until it starts to thicken to a consistency similar to that of single cream. This should take about 3 minutes, so use a timer as it is vital that the custard does not boil as that will make it curdle. Remove the pan from the heat and if coats the back of the spoon it is ready for the next stage. If not, return it to the heat and continue stirring until it does coat the back of the spoon.
- Pour the custard through a sieve into a clean bowl.
- Stir vanilla extract or other flavouring, a teaspoon at a time, tasting as you go until it is just perfect for your taste.
You can make this custard a day in advance but let it get completely cold before covering it and storing it in the fridge until you need it.
