Boiled Custard...smooth as silk...and foolproof !

[Steve Petrone]

Boiled Custard

1 qt. milk
4 egg yolks
2 T flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 t salt
1 t vanilla

First, warm milk in a double boiler large enough to hold all ingredients-just take the chill off- while assembling the rest of the ingredients.

In a separate heavy sauce pan, mix yolks, flour, sugar and salt. Heat over low flame (3 on my stove) adding milk slowly.
I used a whisk and added 1/4 cup of milk at a time. Whisk constantly.

After mixing in 1/3 to 1/2 of the milk, pour the custard mixture into the remaining warm milk in the double boiler. Add vanilla. Whisk constantly.
Slowly bring the temperature of the custard mix up. Stir constantly.

When the mix coats a metal spoon ( 177-180*, in my experience ) remove from heat.

Cool the custard in an ice bath.

Total cook time for me was about 25-30 minutes for 1 1/2 batch. Don't rush it. Start to finish in 45 minutes easy.

Adapted from Boiled Custard by Letty Taylor in "the Pear Tree" cookbook, The Junior League Knoxville, Tn., 1977.

 

[Steve Petrone]

Good day to all on the day before Christmas! I made another batch today. It is a show stopper.

Today I confirmed what I suspected. I had mis-measured the salt. So I will edit the recipe to the exact recipe as I discovered it.
Being an un-trained rookie in the kitchen, I learn by doing.
This is an easy, quick custard that is a crowd pleaser for sure.

 

[Timothy F. Lewis]

Steve, the coating of the spoon(in French parlance) is called nappé and varies with spoon weight, I use a wooden spoon which I dedicate to “sweet” projects, creme brûlée’s, creme patisserie, all that sort of thing,
On a wooden spoon it takes just a little longer, the end product “feels” a little different than when you use a steel spoon.

 

[Steve Petrone]

As infrequently I make custards, I figured knowing a temp to get me in the neighborhood would help. The custard does change at some point and it does feel thicker. With the first batch I cooked it longer. With the second batch I became more confident, when I felt a change in the consistency I pulled it off the heat immediately.