One of my favourite Sardinian sweets is bianchini, moreish little meringues studded with toasted almonds and lemon zest. Making them (or any meringue) means leftover egg yolks and a perfect excuse to make crema Catalana. This classic Spanish dessert is also very popular in Sardinia, a reminder of the Catalan influence there. The traditional recipe is a custard of egg yolks, milk, cornflour and sugar cooked on the stovetop then set in the fridge in shallow terracotta dishes. I like the typical flavourings of cinnamon and lemon zest; orange zest appears in some recipes and Sardinian chef Giovanni Pilu adds a pinch of saffron (which grows in Sardinia) and a vanilla bean to his, so feel free to experiment with different flavourings. Best of all crema Catalana is made in advance, even the crisp toffee crust, then whipped out at dessert time to make you look like a kitchen guru. I serve mine with a glass of macvin from Crittenden. As far as I know, it’s the only Aussie winery producing this unusual fortified wine originally from the Jura region in France, famous for its flor-aged vin jaune. It has a lovely Sherry-like nose from the flor and a light sweetness that works well with the smooth custard and bitter toffee crust. A small kitchen torch is ideal for creating the toffee crust on crema Catalana; they’re available from kitchenware stores. You can set this recipe in one large shallow 1-litre (4-cup) container instead of individual dishes. You can also halve it to serve 2 (see video below), but I don’t recommend doubling it as it takes so long for the larger quantity of custard to thicken that you’re better off making two batches.
Serves 4
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Coating the back of a wooden spoon is a classic description for a properly thickened custard or sauce. It means that when you run your finger through the mixture on the back of the spoon it doesn’t flow back in to fill the space your finger has made.
Depending on the volume, it can take 10 minutes or much more for custard cooked on a stove top to thicken. But don’t be tempted to speed it up by increasing the temperature, nor to stop stirring, or you may end up with scrambled eggs. If you have a probe thermometer, you’ll see that the custard noticeably thickens around 80°C. That’s when it clearly passes the ‘coats the back of the wooden spoon’ test. Stir it for a further minute or so then remove from the heat as, after this point, it won’t thicken any further. See video below for an example of how thick it will become.
If the custard doesn’t thicken as much as it should, or if you set it in a container that isn’t very shallow, it may not set completely in the fridge. This really doesn’t matter as it will still taste delicious with the shards of crisp toffee crust.
Crema Catalana is a milk-based Spanish custard made on the stove top and thickened with cornflour. Crème brûlée is a French cream-based custard baked in a bain-marie. Both have caramelised sugar toppings.
Crema Catalana is typically served cold. It’s chilled until set, then the sugar is caramelised on top. This can be done just before serving, but can also be done a few hours ahead of time and returned to the fridge. The crust will stay crisp in the fridge for a few hours.
