Egg Custard

02Method

1. Heat the milk and cream in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming and just starting to bubble at the edges. Do not let it boil.
2. While it heats, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and corn flour together in a large heatproof bowl until pale and thick.
3. Pour about a third of the hot milk onto the yolks in a thin stream, whisking constantly, then whisk in the rest.
4. Pour everything back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 8-10 minutes until it thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon.
5. Take off the heat, stir in the vanilla, and strain through a sieve into a jug to catch any lumps. Serve warm, or cover the surface with baking paper and chill.

03Notes & substitutions

• Use the leftover egg whites for meringues, pavlova, or an omelette - they freeze well in a container.
• Make a thicker custard for pies or trifle by adding another tablespoon of corn flour.
• Split a vanilla bean into the milk instead of using extract, and scrape the seeds in.
• Stir through a little melted dark chocolate, or a spoonful of instant coffee, for a flavoured custard.
• Serve over apple crumble, stewed fruit, sponge or sticky date pudding.

04Common mistakes

• Heating too fast — high heat scrambles the yolks into lumps; keep the heat low and stir the whole time.
• Not tempering the yolks — pouring all the hot milk in at once cooks the eggs on contact; add it slowly while whisking.
• Walking away from the pan — custard goes from smooth to curdled in seconds once it gets too hot; stay at the stove.
• Skipping the sieve — even a good custard can carry a few lumps; straining gives a silky result.

05Storage & leftovers