Spain's crema catalana — a silky citrus-and-cinnamon infused custard set in ramekins and finished with a crackling caramelised sugar top. A lighter cousin of crème brûlée.
- 400ml Milk
- 150ml Double Cream
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 1 Orange Zest
- 1 Lemon Zest
- 7 Egg Yolks
- 6 tablespoons Caster Sugar
- 45g Corn Flour
Video
Preparation
- Put the milk, cream, cinnamon stick and all the citrus zest in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until just steaming but not boiling, about 3–5 minutes, then remove from the heat, cover with a plate, and leave to infuse for at least 30 minutes.
- Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour together in a separate bowl for 3–5 minutes, until light and pale. Pour the infused milk through a sieve into the egg mixture, whisking continuously, then return everything to the saucepan.
- Set over medium-high heat and whisk for around 10–12 minutes, until it thickens to a custard — it's ready when a finger drawn through the mixture on the back of a wooden spoon leaves a line that holds. Sieve into a jug to remove any froth.
- Divide between six 150ml ramekins or terracotta dishes and leave to cool for 1 hour at room temperature until set with a slight wobble, then chill overnight.
- Just before serving, sprinkle 1 tbsp caster sugar over each and caramelise with a blowtorch (or under a hot grill) until golden and bubbling. Serve straight away.
