Crema Catalana
A delicate Catalan milk custard with cinnamon and lemon zest, topped with a thin, crisp layer of burnt sugar.
Ingredients
- milk500 ml
- egg yolks4 pcs
- sugar75 g
- cornstarch15 g
- cinnamon1 stick
- lemon zest1 tsp
Instructions
Set aside 100 ml of milk from the 500 ml and whisk it in a bowl with 4 egg yolks, 45 g sugar and 15 g cornstarch until smooth and free of lumps.
Pour the remaining 400 ml of milk into a saucepan, add 1 cinnamon stick and 1 tsp lemon zest. Heat over medium heat until the first bubbles appear, remove from the heat and let steep for 5 minutes.
Remove the cinnamon stick, bring the infused milk back to just below a boil, then pour it in a thin stream into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, whisking constantly along the bottom, until the custard thickens and the first bubble appears; don't let it boil for long, or the yolks will curdle.
Strain the hot custard through a sieve, pour into 4 shallow ceramic ramekins and let cool for 20 minutes at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Just before serving, sprinkle the remaining 30 g sugar evenly over the surface of each portion and caramelize with a kitchen torch until an amber, crisp crust forms. Serve immediately.
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