Crème Anglaise

Crème anglaise (French for “English cream”) is a classic pouring custard sauce — tender, silky, and aromatic. Unlike the thick pastry cream, it contains no starch, so it remains fluid, like a sauce.

It is made very carefully: milk or cream with vanilla is brought to a hot state, poured in a thin stream into egg yolks beaten with sugar, and then slowly heated over low heat, stirring continuously, until the cream barely thickens and begins to “coat the spoon.” The main difficulty is not to overheat the mixture, or the yolks will curdle. Crème anglaise is served warm or cold as a refined sauce for pastries, puddings, fruit, and soufflés. In addition, it is the classic base for making ice cream. It is an elegant example of how, from simple ingredients, an accomplished dessert sauce is born.