Créme anglaise (also known as English cream or custard) is a sweet sauce made by thickening cream with egg yolks. It is one of few gifts the English have given to French cuisine.
A classic créme anglaise is lightly flavored with vanilla. Depending on the sauce's ultimate use, you can substitute the vanilla for a range of other spices and aromatics. Popular choices include cinnamon, ginger and cardamon.
The amount of sugar added to your créme anglaise will vary slightly depending on the tartness of the dish with which it is being paired. I generally use somewhere between 1/4 and 1/3 cup.
Makes 2 cups
1
cup heavy cream1
cup milk1
vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla extract1/4
cup sugar, more if necessary5
egg yolks
To a medium saucepan, add the heavy cream, milk and seeds from a split vanilla bean (or vanilla extract). If you are using other aromatic flavors, add them now.
Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly. During this time, any additional flavors you have incorporated into the cream will have a chance to infuse.
While the milk and cream are cooling, combine the sugar and egg yolks in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk until the yolks are broken and properly combined with the sugar.
Add the cream mixture to the egg yolks. Stir quickly to prevent the heat of the cream from curdling the yolks. Clean the saucepan you used to heat the cream. Add the mixture back to the saucepan, and return to the stove.
Adding the infused cream to the egg yolks
Heat gently for a few minutes until the mixture thickens. You can heat slightly faster at the start, but turn down the heat as the sauce starts to thicken. The créme anglaise will be cooked once it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
It's done. The sauce is sticking to the spoon.
Using a fine mesh sieve, strain the sauce into a clean bowl. Place the bowl in a bath of cold water to stop it from cooking further.
If not using immediately, lay a sheet of cling film directly on the surface of the sauce. This will prevent a skin from forming that would otherwise lead to lumps.