Crème Anglaise (Vanilla Custard Sauce)
A classic French vanilla custard sauce. Serve hot or cold with fresh fruit or cake. Tips: add more sugar if using as a base for something cold like ice cream, since chilling dulls sweetness; if the custard starts to curdle, blend it while still warm to make it lump-free. Source: https://www.africanbites.com/creme-anglaise/
Ingredients
| 1 cup | 240 ml | whole milk |
| 120 ml | heavy cream | |
| 1 | vanilla bean (or 2 tsp vanilla extract) | |
| 5 | large egg yolks | |
| 100 g | granulated sugar | |
| 1/4 tsp | 1.3 ml | salt |
| — | berries for serving |
Instructions
- Pour the milk and heavy cream into a medium saucepan.
- Using a sharp knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape out the seeds and add them together with the pod to the cream and milk mixture.
- Heat over medium-low heat until small bubbles begin to appear around the edges. Remove from the heat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until pale in colour.
- Pour a small amount of the cream and milk mixture into the yolks to temper them (prevents curdling).
- Pour all of the tempered egg mixture into the milk mixture. Add the salt.
- Return to low heat and cook until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon (about 5-6 minutes, or 170°F / no more than 180°F on a thermometer). Remove the vanilla pod.
- If needed, pour through a fine sieve to remove any cooked egg, then let cool to room temperature.
- Refrigerate up to 3 days, or serve immediately with fresh fruit or cake. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.