Custard Sauce

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to our Last Morsel editor Barbara Forsythe for finding
this one:

A man was driving down the street in a sweat because he had
an important meeting and couldn't find a parking place. Looking
up toward heaven, he said, "Lord, take pity on me. If you find me
a parking place I will go to Mass every Sunday for the rest of my
life and give up drinking forever." Miraculously, a parking place
appeared. The man looked up again and said, "Never mind, I
found one."

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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This sauce is the foundation for many classic desserts including
floating island and English trifles. It's so good that it literally tastes
good on just about anything. Serve it warm or chilled and spoon
it over fresh, canned, or poached fruit, pound cake, gingerbread,
pies and tarts, gelatin desserts, and even ice cream.

Custard Sauce (Creme Anglaise)

6 egg yolks
1/2 cup (125 ml) sugar
2 cups (500 ml) half-and-half, milk, or combination of the two
2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract

Whisk together the yolks and sugar in a small bowl until slightly
thickened. Heat the half-and-half in a saucepan over moderate
heat until bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Whisk about
1/2 cup (125 ml) of the half-and-half into the egg mixture, then
whisk the resulting mixture into the half-and-half. Reduce the
heat under the saucepan to low and stir the sauce constantly with
a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until slightly thickened. Remove
the pan from the heat and continue stirring until the sauce is the
consistency of heavy cream, about 2 minutes. The temperature
of the sauce should be about 170F (77C) - it is very important not
to let the sauce get too hot. Stir in the vanilla extract and strain
through a fine sieve if desired. If you plan to serve it cold, let it
cool to room temperature before putting covering it in order to
prevent condensation from forming. Serve warm of chilled. Makes
about 2 cups (500 ml).
Received on Fri Apr 14 07:41:34 2006