Crème Anglaise
Crème anglaise is a classic, smooth, and fragrant dessert sauce made with milk, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla. This delicate preparation requires special atten
Crème anglaise is a classic, smooth, and fragrant dessert sauce made with milk, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla. This delicate preparation requires special attention during cooking to avoid coagulation of the eggs. Crème anglaise is ideal for accompanying many desserts, such as cakes, poached fruits, or floating islands. Its smooth texture and vanilla flavor make it a staple of French pastry. Mastering its preparation is essential for any pastry chef. It can be flavored with coffee, cocoa, caramel, or alcohols.
Time
45 min. =
25 min. +
20 min.
Utensils
1 spatula1 sauce pan1 whisk
Ingredients for 6 parts
- 230 mg. sugar
- 1 L. whole milk
- 50 ml. rum
- 50 mg. cacao
- 30 ul. coffee
- 1 vanilla bean
- 9 egg yolks
Steps
- Set up the workstation by weighing, measuring, and checking the ingredients.
- Bring the milk to a boil in a russe or a large saucepan.
- Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and add it to the milk.
- Clarify the eggs.
- Whisk the yolks with the sugar in a stainless steel bowl using a sauce whisk for one to two minutes. Do not leave the sugar in contact with the yolks without mixing.
- Gradually pour a portion of the boiling milk over the blanched yolks, stirring with the whisk to avoid possible coagulation of the yolks.
- Return the mixture to the saucepan.
- Wash and rinse the bowl. It will be used again to strain the cream.
- Cook the cream 'à la nappe' by returning the saucepan to a very low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula. Bring the mixture very slowly to a temperature close to 85 to 90 °C. As soon as the thin foamy film disappears, check the doneness of the cream.
- Check the doneness of the cream by lifting a little cream with the spatula, tilting it slightly, and drawing a horizontal line with your finger. The passage of the finger should remain clearly visible.
- Immediately remove the cream from the heat and strain it through a cheesecloth-lined sieve.
- Cool the cream quickly by placing the bowl in another container with crushed ice and stirring it regularly during cooling. This operation prevents the formation of a skin and regulates the cooling.
- Use the cream immediately or store it in a refrigerated environment at +3 °C maximum.