Recipe: Jacques Pepin's Creme Anglaise

JACQUES PEPIN'S CREME ANGLAISE

"Creme Anglaise is a basic and essential cream. It is served with innumerable desserts, flavored in different ways. With the addition of sweet butter, it can become a fine butter cream (creme au beurre); and with the addition of whipped cream and chocolate, it can become a chocolate mousse; frozen it becomes ice cream. It is the base of such desserts as bavarois, charlotte and the like. And here is the recipe that I use for egg nog sauce. Seems to me that all is needed is some whipped cream, incorporated into this and you'd have it. I'd also sub milk for the cream (as above) in this because you'll be adding in whipping cream."

3 cups milk
8 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup cold milk or cream

Bring the 3 cups of milk to a boil. Set aside.

Place the yolks, sugar and vanilla in a bowl and beat with a wire whisk for 3 to 4 minutes until it forms a "ribbon." The mixture should be pale yellow in color, and when lifted with the whisk, it should fall back into the bowl like a ribbon folded on itself. When the ribbon is "stretched," it should not break.

Combine the hot milk and the yolk mixture in a saucepan. Cook for a few minutes on medium heat, stirring with a wooden spatula, until the mixture coats the spatula. Test by sliding your finger across the cream. The mixture should not run back together immediately; the mark should remain for a few seconds. Do not overcook or the eggs will scramble. As soon as it reaches the right consistency, add the cold milk.

Strain through a fine sieve into a cold bowl. Cool, stirring once in a while. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes 1 quart
Source: La Technique by Jacques Pepin