Egg Custard

This is the basic stirred custard that one serves with steamed puddings. My version uses half milk, half cream.

Make it with all milk, if you prefer. It is also the base for vanilla ice-cream, with a slight modification.

This quantity makes 3 cups.

ingredients

• 2 cup fill fat milk
• 1 cup cream
• 1 vanilla bean, split
• 5 egg yolks
• ½ cup castor sugar

method

Bring milk, cream and vanilla bean to simmering point in a heavy-based saucepan.

In a bowl, whisk egg yolks with sugar until light and foamy, then whisk in warm milk and cream.

Return to rinsed-out pan and cook over a moderate heat for at least 10 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until mixture thickens and coats back of spoon. (If you have a thermometer, 82-85°C is the temperature for a properly thickened custard.)

Strain into a cold bowl, then scrape in some vanilla seeds from the split pod.

Serve warm or cold.