Cold-start
thick
custard
Thick
custards
(or
crème
pâtissière)
usually
begin
with
scalded
milk.
I
did
it
dutifully
every
batch.
Except
that
one
time,
as
an
apprentice,
when
I
didn’t,
and
I
made
a
five-litre
batch
of
custard
from
cold
ingredients
and
spent
thirty
blister-forming
minutes
cooking
the
custard!
But
you
can
custard
from
cold
and remain callus-free with small home-baking amounts.
The
wedge
of
time
you
carve
off
by
not
heating
the
milk
goes
to
the
cooking
time,
and
that’s
a
trade
I’m
happy
to
make.
I
enrich
this
version
with
cream,
not
butter,
to
form
a
base
for
further
fat-enhanced
good
things
like
the
German
brown
butter
buttercream
(page 251)
or
Whipped
custard
crème
(page 249).
The
cornflour
in
this
recipe
is
your
custard
insurance
policy,
safeguarding
the
egg
from
overcooking,
so
don’t
be
worried
about
boiling
this – you
actually
need
it
to
boil
in
order
to
completely
cook
the
starch.
Only
custards
WITHOUT
flour
need
gentle
heat
(see
Vanilla
malt
crème
anglaise,
page 262).
Happy
new
relaxed
custard
life!
You’re
welcome!
Keeps
Up
to
4
days
chilled.
Don’t
freeze.
Makes
A
small
batch
is
320
g
(11½
oz)
and
a
large
batch
is
500
g
(1
lb
2
oz).
Takes
15
minutes
plus
at
least
1
hour
of
cooling
time.
Small
batch
Large
batch
caster
(superfine)
sugar
50
g
(1¾
oz)
75
g
(2¾
oz)
cornflour
(cornstarch)
20
g
(¾
oz)
30
g
(1
oz)
fine
sea
salt
1
g
(1⁄32
oz/⅛
teaspoon)
1.5
g
(1⁄24
oz/scant
¼
teaspoon)
cream
(35%
milkfat)
40
g/ml
(1½
oz)
60
g/ml
(2
oz)
egg
yolk
40
g
(1½
oz)
(from
approx.
2
eggs)
60
g
(2
oz)
(from
approx.
3
eggs)
full-cream
(whole)
milk
200
g/ml
(7
oz)
300
g/ml
(10½
oz)
vanilla
paste
or
vanilla
bean
4
g
(⅛
oz/½
teaspoon)
vanilla
paste,
or
½
vanilla
bean
6
g
(⅛
oz/heaped
½
teaspoon)
vanilla
paste,
or
¾
vanilla
bean
continued
…