Crème Anglaise
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Crème anglaise is the pourable custard behind many classic desserts, and it needs only four ingredients and one pan. Its method is the lesson: tempering the yolks with hot milk, then cooking gently until the sauce coats a spatula and holds a clean finger trail. Serve it over fresh fruit, use it as the base for ice cream, or flavor it with herbs, nuts, coffee or chocolate.
Instructions
Put the milk and flavoring in a medium saucepan and bring it to a simmer. If you are using a vanilla bean, split it lengthwise first, then scrape the seeds into the milk once it has had a little time to warm, and throw away the empty pods.
While the milk heats, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until the mixture turns pale yellow.
When the milk reaches a simmer, take it off the heat. Pour about half of it slowly into the yolk mixture, whisking the whole time, then tip everything back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk and set it on the stove again.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping the sides and corners of the pan often. Do not let the mixture boil.
To check it, dip a spatula in the sauce and draw a finger across the back. It is ready when the line your finger leaves stays clean and does not fill back in.
Take the pan off the heat and pour the sauce through a metal strainer into a clean bowl. Stir it for another two minutes to start it cooling.
For fast cooling, set the bowl inside a larger bowl of ice and stir until the sauce is cold. If you have time, the freezer also works, as long as you stir now and then. Without one of these, a skin will form on top.
Make it personal.
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