Here's egg-xactly how to do it
1 servings
Ingredients
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Directions
For years I thought that to make a custard or mousse you had to be a magician. "Stir until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon" conjured up images of a wooden handle draped in a trench coat. "Do not allow it to boil or the eggs will curdle" caused ripples of anxiety detectable by the Richter scale. Anxiety about custard is not necessary. A custard sauce is merely egg yolks mixed with sugar, perhaps a bit of salt, maybe some citrus juice or milk that is heated until thick. The thick emulsion can be lightened with berry puree and enriched with whipped cream to form a mousse, or it can be frozen to make home-made ice cream. When egg yolks are heated, the egg proteins coagulate by bonding into a fully solid mass. If the coagulated egg proteins are left undisturbed, as with a baked custard, they form a solid structure from what was once liquid. This is the tender Spanish flan or Creole rice pudding. If you make the same mixture and keep stirring it, it will become a creamy custard. the secret of the properly thickened satiny custard is to start by whisking the egg yolks in a heavy-bottomed saucepan until lightly colored. Add the sugar a tablespoon at a time, beating well between each addition .
Beat until it reaches the thickness of a cake batter. Now it's time to add the liquid. If the recipe calls for more then ½-cup of liquid, start by heating the liquid until it begins to steam.
Otherwise you'll be stirring all day.If it's a small amount, the temperature doesn't matter. Place the pan over low heat and use a wooden spoon. Stir continuously. You'll know it's about done when you poke it and see an occasional bit of steam rise. Then look at the spoon's back. If it's coated thickly enough that you can draw a line down the back of the spoon, it's done. The best way to anticipate this moment is to take the custard's temperature. At 160F there is no fear of salmonella bacteris, says the Meat and Poultry Hot Line of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. At 160F you have achieved the proper thickness. Baked custards are a snap. The only trick is to remember to keep the heat low, and to keep the baking pan in a hot water bath, called a "bain marie" in French. This aquatic insulation prevents the eggs from heating too rapidly, which causes them to become tough, and the custard to develop bubbles or possibly separate. For a baked custard, do not beat the eggs too vigorously, or it causes bubbles in the creamy pudding. From the Collection of Tia L. Darrow... Submitted By SHARON STEVENS On 10-18-94