Crème Anglaise
Crème anglaise, French for "English cream", is a light, pourable custard sauce made from milk (often with some cream), egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla. It is cooked gently on the stove until it thickens just enough to coat the back of a spoon. It is served with cakes, tarts, poached fruit, and soufflés, and is the classic base for French-style ice cream.
The basic ratio
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Whole milk (or half milk, half cream) | 500 ml / 2 cups |
| Egg yolks | 5–6 large (about 90–110 g) |
| Granulated sugar | 100 g / 1/2 cup |
| Vanilla bean or extract | 1 bean, or 1–2 tsp extract |
| Salt | A pinch |
More yolks give a thicker, richer sauce; more cream gives a silkier feel and a rounder flavour.
The science
Crème anglaise is thickened only by egg-yolk proteins, with no starch to protect them. As the mixture heats, those proteins unfold and link loosely into a fine network that traps the liquid. That gives a sauce that is thick but still pourable.
The working window is narrow:
- Below about 80 °C / 175 °F: too few proteins have linked, so the sauce is thin.
- 82–84 °C / 180–183 °F: the sweet spot. The sauce coats a spoon, a state called nappe.
- Above about 85 °C / 185 °F: proteins bond too tightly, squeezing out liquid and forming curds.
Sugar helps by sitting between proteins and slowing their bonding, which raises the curdling point slightly and makes the sauce more forgiving. At 82 °C, the sauce is also well above the 71 °C / 160 °F needed for egg safety.
Method in brief
- Heat milk with vanilla until steaming, about 80 °C / 175 °F, then steep for 10 minutes if using a bean.
- Whisk yolks, sugar, and salt until pale and thick.
- Temper: whisk about a third of the hot milk into the yolks in a thin stream.
- Return everything to the pan over medium-low heat.
- Stir constantly with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom and corners, for 4–8 minutes.
- When it reaches 82–84 °C or passes the spoon test, strain immediately into a bowl set over ice.
- Stir until cool, then press plastic wrap onto the surface and chill. It keeps 3 days in the fridge.
Chef Fizz says: Keep a cold bowl and a strainer next to the stove before you start. When crème anglaise is ready, it is ready right now.
Common mistakes
- Heat too high: the bottom curdles before the top thickens. Patience pays.
- Not scraping corners: hot spots in the pan's edges scramble first.
- Leaving it in the pan: a hot pot keeps cooking the sauce. Strain into a cold bowl right away.
- Boiling the milk: fine to do, but let it cool slightly before tempering.
Variations
Infuse the milk with coffee beans, citrus zest, tea, cinnamon, or cardamom. Stir in chopped chocolate off the heat for a chocolate sauce, or a splash of liqueur once cool. Churn the chilled sauce for ice cream.
Questions
What temperature should crème anglaise reach?
Cook it to 82–84 °C / 180–183 °F. Below about 80 °C it stays thin; above about 85 °C / 185 °F the yolks begin to curdle.
How do you know crème anglaise is done without a thermometer?
Dip a spoon in, turn it over, and draw a finger across the back. If the line stays clean and the sauce does not run back into it, the sauce has reached nappe and is done.
How do you fix curdled crème anglaise?
Pour it immediately into a cold bowl, then blend with an immersion blender or regular blender for 20–30 seconds and strain. Mild curdling will smooth out; heavily scrambled sauce is best used in bread pudding.
Is crème anglaise the same as ice cream base?
Essentially, yes. French-style ice cream is a crème anglaise, often richer in cream and yolks, chilled thoroughly and then churned.