The custard is flavored with lemon or orange zest, and cinnamon. The similar European recipes appears in the 17th century Spanish cookery books, usually under the name of Cream of Saint Joseph (“Crema de san José”), since it was a traditional dessert served during Saint Joseph’s Day, although nowadays it is consumed at all times of the year.
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Preparation
In a large saucepan, beat together the egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar until the ingredients are thoroughly blended and the mixture turns frothy. Add the cinnamon stick and lemon zest and stir. Add milk and cornstarch and slowly heat the mixture, and stir constantly, just until it begins to thicken.
Remove the pot from the heat immediately. (As soon as the mixture thickens and you feel resistance while stirring, remove the pot from the heat or the mixture may curdle or separate. If this happens, the texture of the finished crema Catalana will be grainy instead of smooth and creamy as it should be.) To cool, remove the cinnamon stick and ladle the milk mixture into 4 to 6 ramekins (depending on size). Allow them to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 to 3 hours.
Before serving, heat the broiler. Take the ramekins with the crema Catalana out of the refrigerator and sprinkle the rest of the sugar over each ramekin. When the broiler is hot, place the ramekins under the broiler on the top shelf and allow the sugar to caramelize and bubble, turning golden brown. This may take 5 to 10 minutes or so, depending on your broiler. Keep a close eye on your crema Catalana so that it doesn’t burn. Remove and serve immediately. Crema Catalana can be served chilled, but it gets more flavor when served warm from the broiler.
Photo Courtesy: Google/ images are subject to copyright
