Creme Anglaise

Clotted cream ora crème anglaise sauce is a perfect accompaniment to warm steamed pudding,

Crème Anglaise

2 cups milk
1 vanilla bean, split
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt.

In a saucepan, combine the milk and vanilla bean and bringjust to a boil*. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit 10 minutes.Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the yolks, sugar and salt untilthick and light-colored.

Discard the vanilla bean and very slowly whisk the hot milkinto the yolk mixture. Return the mixture to the saucepan, set over medium heatand cook, stirring constantly –a wooden apoon works well at this stage — until the custard thickens just enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 10minutes. (Do not overcook* or the custard will curdle.)

Immediately remove from the heat and strain through afine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Serve warm or chilled. (If necessary, rewarmthe sauce in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water. Again, beingcareful not to overcook or bring to a boil; that will cause the sauce tocurdle.*)

Yield: 2cups.

*Constant vigilance counts with this sort of custard sauce; akin toavgolemono sauce and hollandaise.

Aboveis based loosely on a recipe for crème anglaise in an article by MollyONeill in the N. Y. Times on sweet puddings, English style. (fall 99)

You can find the above recipe(s) by tapping here on the Home Cookin’ index.

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Crème Anglaise

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