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Crème Anglaise (English Custard)

Master the classic French custard sauce, Crème Anglaise. This velvety smooth, rich, and versatile sauce is the perfect accompaniment to countless desserts, adding a touch of elegance to any plate.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 150g Whipping Cream 35% Fat
  • 150g Whole Milk
  • 60g Egg Yolks Approx 3 Medium Egg Yolks
  • 30g Caster Sugar
  • 1 Vanilla Pod or 4g Vanilla Paste
Ice Bath
  • Cold Water
  • Ice Cubes

Equipment

  • Heavy Bottom Saucepan
  • Fine Mesh Sieve
  • Temperature Probe
  • Mixing Bowl

Method
 

  1. Add Milk, Cream and Vanilla to the saucepan and place on a hob over medium heat and bring to a simmer
  2. Meanwhile, add sugar and egg yolks to a bowl and with a spatula incorporate until you get a pale yellow paste (about 15 seconds)1
  3. Get an 2 mixing bowls, one smaller than the other. In the large bowl add water and ice2
  4. Once the liquid has come to a simmer, temper the egg yolks by pouring liquid a little at a time, stirring continuously until about half the liquid has been incorporated.3
  5. Pour the tempered egg yolk mixture back into the pan with the remaining liquid on a low/medium heat. Keep stirring, scraping the bottom and the sides of the pan until the mix has reached 83℃ (181℉)4
  6. Strain the anglaise through an fine mesh sieve into the smaller bowl
  7. Place the bowl in to the ice bath and mix slowly with a spatula until the custard has dropped to 50℃5
  8. Place into a container surface wrapped with cling film and place into the fridge

Notes

  1. When mixing egg yolks and sugar you only want to combine it together. Do not mix vigorously, you don't want to incorporate any air.
  2. You only need to set up an ice bath to cool the custard if you are making it in advance. If you plan to serve straight away then simply strain the custard once it has come to the right temperature and serve in a jug or over the dessert.
  3. You don't want to boil the liquid. When it comes to tempering the yolks pouring boiling liquid over room temperature yolks will cause the temperature to rise quickly and scramble the eggs.
  4. You want to keep the custard moving otherwise you'll end up with scrambled egg through your mix and the custard will take on an eggy flavour.
  5. The anglaise is cooled to ensure the custard doesn't continue to cook through residual heat when in a container. 
  6. You can use double cream as a substitute for whipping cream in this recipe, you may end up with a slightly thicker custard as a result. If you only have double cream or a fattier cream than whipping cream use a little less and make up the difference with whole milk to achieve the correct fluidity for the crème anglaise 
Crème Anglaise will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days