Crema Catalana
A milk-based custard thickened on the stovetop with egg yolk and cornstarch, scented with lemon, orange, and cinnamon, then capped with a brittle caramelized sugar shell — Catalonia's own custard, recorded in a 1324 cookbook centuries before France's creme brulee.
Vegetarian
⚠ Contains: Dairy, Egg. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Zest of 1 orange
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 cup sugar, divided
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- Sugar, for the caramelized top
Steps
- Warm the milk with the cinnamon stick, lemon zest, and orange zest over low heat, then remove from heat and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain.
- Whisk the egg yolks with half the sugar until pale, then whisk in the cornstarch.
- Gradually whisk in the warm infused milk.
- Return the mixture to the pot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Pour into shallow individual dishes and let cool, then refrigerate until fully set, at least 2 hours.
- Just before serving, sprinkle a thin, even layer of sugar over each custard and caramelize with a kitchen torch or under a hot broiler until brittle.