Custard

Every time I come back to the blog after a long-ish absence it’s always harder than usual to write a post, and even harder is to be pleased about what I’ve written. This time, not only I’ve taken almost 6 weeks off blogging (time that has been roughly spent doing the following: prepare for holiday, go on holiday, recover from holiday, celebrate B.’s birthday, realise that the dissertation deadline is now definitely looming and panic a little, devise a dissertation completion plan that should see you through the next few months and, last but not least, fail to stick to the first step of your plan because of a Eurovision-induced hangover Sunday), but I’ve also chosen a classic recipe that is so popular, simple and loved that you certainly don’t need me to come and tell you about it.

 Therefore, I’m going to stop my ramblings a little earlier than usual today and leave you with a tried and tested recipe for custard. Not too sweet and not too heavy, it’s the kind of thing you keep dipping your spoon into just to lick it clean afterwards. Perhaps these are the type of desserts we should be making more often, unfussy yet delicious and satisfying. If you haven’t made homemade custard in a while, find some time for it and enjoy this classic treat.

Ingredients

200 ml fresh milk

150 ml double cream

1 vanilla pod, cut lengthwise and seeds scraped out

1 piece of lemon peel (cut with a peeler)

2 egg yolks

65 gr caster sugar

Bring milk and cream to the boil in a pan, together with the vanilla pod, seeds and lemon peel. As soon as you reach the boil, turn off the heat and leave to infuse.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until the latter is dissolved and the mixture is thick, creamy and pale in colour.

Remove the vanilla pod and lemon peel from the pan, then slowly pour the milk and cream mixture over the whisked egg yolks. You need to do this gradually and whilst you keep whisking to avoid getting your eggs scrambled.

Pour the custard back in the pan and whisk the mixture on a low heat until it thickens up. It should coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and enjoy hot, warm or cold.

Berries and lime clafoutis

I have a strange relationship with stereotypes. On the one hand I despise them and try to escape from them. Every time somebody tells me that my English accent doesn’t betray me as an Italian, I secretly (or not so secretly, depending on who I’m talking to) rejoice. Equally, whenever I find myself gesticulating in the middle of a heated discussion and somebody comments on how Italian I look, I feel my cheeks burn up and try to keep my arms down. A couple of times I was even told that because I’m Italian I “must follow football and support a team”!

On the other hand, I do think stereotypes are necessary to help us identify our boundaries and strengthen our sense of belonging (which makes it somewhat difficult when you’re not really sure where you belong in the first place). Stereotypes are the inheritance of our history and must be understood in light of this. They also make for some serious fun when you see the artwork created by Yanko Tsvetkov, aka Alphadesigner: he maps the world according to the stereotypes that each country has for the others and is both revealing and hilarious to look at.

A lot more could be said for stereotypes about food. Just think of how the British call the French, or the Germans! And what about the terrible reputation that British food still has around the world? My uncle once said that he didn’t like French cuisine because it was too refined and, whilst it was good for a ‘dining experience’, the best everyday food was Italian. Now, I love Italian food, I think it’s brilliant and, on reflection, it’s probably the Italian thing I love the most. But I love good food a lot more and if clafoutis is anything to go by, I’m all for French cuisine. Whether they eat frogs or not (just so that you know, Italians eat frogs too! But not snails), the French undoubtedly know a thing or two about food and I’m very glad to be able to try it at home, in restaurants and, every now and then, in its homeland (raclette in Bordeaux, anyone?).

Berries, previosuly: Blackcurrant ripple frozen yoghurt and gooseberries and elderflower compote for your scones!

Adapted from Raymond Blanc’s Cherry Clafoutis.

Ingredients (serves 6)

For the fruit:

500 gr berries (I used 100 gr each of gooseberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants, raspberries and blackberries)

45 gr caster sugar

2 tbsp port

Mix all the ingredients in a glass or ceramic bowl and leave to rest for at least two hours.

For the batter:

70 gr butter

3 eggs + 1 egg yolk

90 gr caster sugar

seeds from a vanilla pod

zest from 2 limes

100 gr plain flour

170 gr milk

150 gr single cream

Preheat the oven to 180°C and prepare the baking dish by greasing it with butter and dusting it with caster sugar. In a small saucepan, melt the butter until it becomes golden in colour. Leave to cool.

In a bowl, mix eggs and egg yolk, caster sugar, vanilla seeds and lime zest well with a whick and then slowly incorporate the flour in the mixture. Now whisk in the milk and the cream, followed by the cooled melted butter.

Pour the marinated berries into the batter and then pour everything in the baking dish, making sure you don’t fill it up to more than 3/4 of its capacity, or else it will overflow in the oven. Bake for 35 minutes and test that it’s done with a knife: the blade should come out of the clafoutis clean. Best served barely warm or at room temperature.

For the sauce:

275 gr berries

75 gr caster sugar

zest from 1 lime

Whilst the clafoutis is baking, prepare the sauce. Mix the berries and sugar in a small saucepan and cook until the berries are cooked through and have burst open. Turn the heat off and add the lime zest. Wait for it to cool down before serving.