Catalan cream is not a custard, and this is a topic that pastry chefs hotly discuss in many parts of the world.
There are those who say that it is the same but that the Catalan cream burns at the last moment, and when we are talking about such a popular dessert, we enter into the quarrel of home recipes, those that change from kitchen to kitchen to suit the taste of the one. prepare.
The reality is that the ingredients of both coincide, and the only modification that we could appreciate is that the custards are more fluid, which will depend on the amount of cornstarch we incorporate to thicken it.
So is crema catalana a pastry cream? Well, it could be perfectly part of the concept of pastry cream (not the English version, which does not contain cornstarch). We are talking about preparations that take consistency due to the action of the eggs, whose cooking will be decisive for the final result. If we do not mix well and if we do not respect the temperatures, the cream will cut, it will become an omelette and it will stick. A disaster that we will only get out of by throwing everything away and starting over.
Generally, Catalan cream differs from custard by the aromatics that we add, just like pastry cream. The vanilla gives way to the orange and lemon peels and also to the presence of cinnamon in the mixture. The first thing to do is infuse the milk with these aromatics - carefully because if it boils it will be able to come out of the saucepan easily - and leave it covered until the temperature drops slightly and the milk is impregnated with all the flavor.
If you are tired of the traditional version, you can innovate with whatever you want: tonka bean, lavender, rosemary, grapefruit ... The next step is to mix the egg yolks with sugar and cornstarch on one side - never starch in milk directly, because it could create lumps; You also have to be careful not to leave the yolks with the sugar for a long time because they would set, you have to make the mixture at the moment-, pour the infused milk over all of it, mix well and bring everything to the fire so that it sets slowly, being careful not to beat very hard with the rods because a lot of air would enter. I personally like to add a knob of butter at the end, to make it creamier.
When we have a thicker consistency but a really smooth texture, it only remains to burn the cream by putting a layer of sugar on top and with the help of a burner (or, easier, with a blowtorch).
You could also use the oven grill at full power, but bear in mind that if we do that we can move into the territory of
creme bruleé
;
It is not cooked on the fire but in the oven directly.
Difficulty
It is delicate, but if you follow the instructions it will be fine.
Ingredients
1 l whole milk
8 egg yolks
110 g sugar
30 g of cornstarch or cornstarch
1 piece of lemon rind without white part
1 piece of orange rind without white part
1 stick of cinnamon
20g butter
Plenty of sugar to caramelize
Preparation
Heat the milk with the orange peel, lemon peel and cinnamon.
When it is about to come to a boil, turn off the heat and cover with plastic wrap.
Let stand for 20 minutes.
Strain and reheat slightly.
Separate the whites from the yolks and put the yolks in a bowl with the sugar and cornstarch.
Mix well with a few rods.
Slowly pour the hot milk over the mixture, stirring without stopping.
Return everything to the saucepan and heat over low-medium heat while stirring.
It will be necessary to control the fire because if it is very strong everything will curdle and spoil.
When the cream begins to take shape, remove it from the heat and continue stirring (everything will continue to be hot, if it stops we will be in danger).
Continue until it is very thick but creamy.
Finally add the butter and mix well.
Put the cream in the containers where we are going to burn it.
Let cool completely covered with film.
To serve, cover with a layer of sugar and toast well with the blowtorch, with a burner or under the grill on high, watching closely and carefully so that it does not burn.
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