Crema Catalana
Ingredients
- 500 ml whole milk
- peel of 1 orange and 1 lemon (no pith)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 5 egg yolks
- 120 g sugar, plus extra for the crust
- 25 g cornstarch
Often called Spain's answer to crème brûlée, crema catalana is actually older — it appears in print as early as the medieval cookbook Llibre de Sent Soví. Unlike the French custard, it's thickened with cornstarch on the stovetop rather than baked in a water bath, and it's infused with orange and lemon zest alongside cinnamon. It's chilled until set, then finished with a caramelized sugar crust, traditionally made with a flat hot iron rather than a torch.
Method
Heat the milk with the citrus peels and cinnamon stick until just below a boil, then remove from heat and let infuse for 20 minutes.
Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until pale, then whisk in the cornstarch.
Strain the infused milk and gradually whisk it into the egg mixture.
Return everything to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened to a custard consistency.
Pour into shallow ramekins or traditional clay dishes and press plastic wrap onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
Chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Just before serving, sprinkle a thin layer of sugar over each custard and caramelize with a kitchen torch (or a hot iron, traditionally) until deep golden and crisp.
