Last week when I was at home I made a runny, vanilla-infused homemade egg custard to go with apples that Mum cooked with sugar and some cloves, and the combination, though obvious and simple, was delicious.
I’d forgotten how simple it is to make custard, and consequently, made the same again this weekend just passed to go with cooked Victoria plums that had been frozen from late summer.
The recipe I used for the custard was from Leith’s Cooking Bible, and could not be easier. I’ve abridged it from memory below
Ingredients
½ pint milk
2 egg yolks
1-2 tablespoons caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, or few drops of vanilla essence, to taste
How to make:
Heat ½ pint of creamy milk with a vanilla pod until just boiled and take off the heat and leave for 10 minutes to infuse.
Beat together 2 egg yolks and 1-2 tablespoons caster sugar – until smooth.
When the milk is no longer too hot, remove the vanilla pod and slowly pour the milk into the egg yolk mix, stirring using a spoon or whisk constantly to prevent lumps.
Return to the pan and place on the heat again, and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for about 10 minutes, until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Eaten with:
Cooked apples with a few tablespoons of sugar and cloves, or plums with a few tablespoons of of sugar, – brought up to a gentle simmer, then placed in a lowish oven (140-160 degrees celsius) with a lid on for 30-40 minutes, or until cooked through. Or any other cooked fruit you desire. Perhaps top with some toasted almonds or hazelnuts.
Dinner Document 