Crema Catalana Recipes

HOMEMADE SPANISH CREMA CATALANA RECIPE

Steps:

• Put the milk on the stove in a small saucepan, along with the citrus peels and the cinnamon stick. Slowly bring to a boil.
• Dissolve the cornstarch in a splash of water and set aside.
• While the milk is slowly heating, beat the egg yolks with the sugar, until the mixture turns pale yellow. Beat in the dissolved cornstarch and a spoonful of the hot milk.
• Remove the citrus peels and cinnamon stick from the hot milk, and lower the heat.
• Slowly add the egg yolk mixture to the milk, making sure to keep stirring so that the eggs don't scramble!
• Stir constantly over a low heat, until the mixture has thickened.
• Remove from the heat and pour the mixture into traditional clay dishes or ramekins.
• Allow the custard to cool, and then cover in plastic wrap and chill the crema catalanas for about four hours (preferably overnight).
• Before serving, I like to let mine come to room temperature (unless it's summer-- that would be too hot!). Then sprinkle a thin layer of sugar on top of each ramekin. Spread the sugar out by tilting the ramekins in all directions. Caramelize with a small kitchen blowtorch (though the truly authentic crema catalanas are made with a hot iron (see photo below).
• Top with fresh fruit (optional) and enjoy!

CREMA CATALANA

Steps:

• Special equipment: 10 (5-ounce) ramekins
• In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, orange zest, cinnamon sticks, and salt to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes to infuse flavors. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the 1 cup of sugar until pale and fluffy. Whisk the cornstarch with 1/2 cup water to make a slurry and whisk until thoroughly combined.
• Remove and discard the orange zest and cinnamon sticks from the milk. Whisking constantly, gradually add the milk to the egg yolk mixture. Return the mixture to the saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly to thicken, about 3 to 5 minutes. Strain the custard into a large bowl and whisk in the vanilla. Divide the custard between 10 (5-ounce) ramekins and smooth the surfaces. Cool the custards slightly, then cover the ramekins with the plastic wrap and refrigerate them until the custard is cold, at least 8 or up to 24 hours
• To serve the crema catalana, sprinkle each ramekin evenly with 2 teaspoons of sugar. Use a kitchen torch to melt and caramelize the sugar until browned and crusty. Serve immediately.

CREMA CATALANA

Steps:

• Combine milk, lemon peel, orange peel and cinnamon sticks in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Discard lemon peels, orange peels and cinnamon sticks.
• Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks and sugar in large bowl until light and lemon colored. Beat in cornstarch. Gradually whisk in hot milk. Return mixture to same saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture boils, whisking constantly, about 10 minutes. Divide custard among six 2/3 cup custard cups. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.
• Preheat broiler. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over custards. Broil until brown sugar caramelizes. (Or caramelize with round branding iron). Serve.

CREMA CATALANA

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of the milk, and stir to dissolve cornstarch. In a medium saucepan, heat remaining milk with the lemon peel, vanilla bean and seeds, and cinnamon stick, stirring. Just before milk comes to a boil, turn off the heat, cover pan and set aside.
• In a large, heavy saucepan whisk together the eggs, sugar and reserved cornstarch mixture. Remove lemon peel from the milk, and slowly add the milk (and cinnamon stick) to the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Place pan over low heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick and discard.
• Strain the custard into a large measuring cup or bowl with a pouring spout, then pour the strained custard into 6 ovenproof ramekins. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Just before serving, heat a flat metal spatula over a hot gas flame. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of sugar over each custard, and then touch the surface of the sugar with the hot spatula just long enough to caramelize it. (Alternative methods for caramelizing are to place ramekins under a broiler, or use a small blow-torch).

CREMA CATALANA

Steps:

• Combine egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Mix in cornstarch.
• Peel lemon in one piece. Combine milk, lemon peel, cinnamon stick, and vanilla seeds in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat, cover, and allow the milk to get infused with the flavorings for 30 minutes and cool. Whisk egg yolk-sugar mixture into the lukewarm milk.
• Return to heat and simmer, stirring constantly, over low heat until cream thickens, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove lemon peel and cinnamon stick. Spoon cream into 8 ovenproof ramikens and allow to cool completely, at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
• Sprinkle 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar onto each ramiken and set under the broiler until sugar caramelizes, 1 to 2 minutes. Pay close attention so sugar does not burn.

CREMA CATALANA

Steps:

• In a pot, beat together the egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar until thoroughly blended and the mixture turns frothy.
• Add the cinnamon stick and grated lemon rind.
• Mix the cornstarch with 2 tbsp of the cold milk, when well mixed return it to the remaining 2 cups of milk.
• Pour in the milk.
• Slowly heat the mixture, stirring constantly, just until thickened.
• Remove pot from heat immediately.
• Tip: As soon as the mixture thickens and you feel resistance while stirring, remove the pot from the heat or the mixture may curdle or separate! The texture of the finished crema will be grainy instead of smooth and creamy, this is as it should be.
• Remove the cinnamon stick and ladle the milk mixture into 4 ramekins (individual serving size).
• Allow to cool, then refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours.
• Before serving, preheat the broiler.
• Remove ramekins with the crema catalana from refrigerator and sprinkle the rest of the sugar over each ramekin.
• When broiler is hot, place the ramekins under the broiler on the top shelf and allow the sugar to caramelize, turning gold and brown.
• This may take 10 minutes or so, depending on your broiler. Remove and serve immediately.
• If you'd like, you can serve the crema catalana chilled, but we think it has more flavor when served warm from the broiler.