The Confident Kitchen Series
What do you think of when you hear the term English pouring custard, vanilla sauce, pouring sauce, custard sauce or Crème Anglaise? Do you know the difference? Well, guess what? They are all the same thing, which is in fact – a stirred custard. I am going to share with you how to make this delicious sauce – a term that will be referred to as Creme Anglaise for the purposes of this post.
You may have seen the post on Urbnspice Ultimate Apple Crisp. To accompany crisps and cobblers or any warm desserts, creme anglaise is an excellent choice. I will explain the term, describe how to make it with tips and techniques to become confident making it on your own.
Apple Crisp and Star Apple Creme Anglaise
Here is a simple recipe for crème anglaise that you can make.
CREME ANGLAISE
CHEF TALK: This is one of the best sauce recipes that you can learn how to make. I provide tons of tips and ideas on changing the flavour of the creme anglaise.
YIELD: Approximately 1 1/2 cups sauce
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup /250 ml milk(substitute almond milk, coconut milk, rice milk or even light cream)
- 2 1/2 oz. (approx. 70 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/2 vanilla bean pod, split or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
METHOD:
- Bring the milk just to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan.
- In a small bowl, mix the sugar and yolks together (wait to do this until the milk comes to a boil).
- Temper the milk to the egg yolk mixture by pouring the milk slowly into the sugar/yolk mixture, whisking the entire time until all the milk is used.
- Add the mixture back to the heat to thicken (just until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.)
- Strain the mixture.
- Place the crème anglaise over an ice bath to chill
- Refrigerate, covered until ready to use.
- Serve over warm apple crisp, or any other type of dessert requiring a sauce.
CREME ANGLAISE TIPS & TECHNIQUES:
CHEF TIP: Many of you will have shied away from making this sauce because of its precise temperature and tempering process that typically results in many pots of scrambled egg sauce. As a culinary student, the traditional method caused many of us angst as we hovered over our sauces. Following, are two no-fret techniques for mastering a perfect crème anglaise. It was an Aha! moment for me when I learned these methods!
METHOD:
- Technique # 1: Prepare a bain-marie with a medium saucepan. In a medium bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar together and place the bowl over the bain-marie, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar while warming the mixture. Meanwhile, heat the milk to boiling. Pour the hot milk over the warmed egg yolk/sugar mixture and stir until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. This will happen quickly.
- Technique # 2: To eliminate any guesswork, use a digital thermometer and heat (while stirring) until the sauce reaches a temperature of 182°F (83°C).
- Strain the mixture and add the vanilla extract or other flavourings, if desired.
- Chill the sauce quickly in an ice bath. Cover the sauce directly with a layer of plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. When cooled, transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until required. It will keep for up to three days.
WHAT ELSE CAN I DO WITH THIS SAUCE RECIPE?
CHEF TALK: Crème Anglaise is like a blank canvas: Experiment with some of these flavouring suggestions:
- Spices: Add a pinch of ground cinnamon or nutmeg to taste. Experiment with others, should you wish.
- Extracts: Add almond, rum, maple, lemon, orange, etc. Start with a ½ teaspoon. Add more to taste.
- Mint Crème Anglaise: Add 1 cup of fresh, chopped mint leaves to the milk as you are bringing it to the boil. Continue with the recipe. You may steep the mixture if desired to achieve full flavour and colour. Strain as per directions. This softly shaded sauce is spectacular on top of fresh sliced strawberries.
- Lemon-Vanilla Sauce: Add 1 teaspoon lemon zest to the saucepan while warming the milk to allow zest to steep.
- Chocolate-Cinnamon Crème Anglaise: For every 375 ml of Creme anglaise, add 1 oz. bittersweet chocolate and 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon. Serve with Gingerbread Cake.
Please CLICK the link above to access my UrbnSpice LEARNING TIPS, which are listed alphabetically on the Learning Tips blog post under the following subheadings:
- Bain Marie
- Tempering Egg Mixtures
- Flavourings
- Ice Baths
- Vanilla Extract
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As always, if you give this recipe for Creme Anglaise or its variations a try, please come back and leave me a comment below with your feedback.
You can find me on social media (see links below) – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!
Denise Paré-Watson
The Urbnspice Chef
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