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| PROBLEMS
WITH CUSTARD |
FOOD
TIPS BY TALLYRAND |
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 Fresh
egg custards are very delicate in nature and can curdle
very easily. It thickens or holds together because of
the egg yolk. To prevent it curdling or splitting:
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Ensure
your milk is at boiling point when adding to the
egg mixture, this will drastically reduce the time
it is actually cooking.
-
Temper
the mixture. Tempering means readying a mixture,
in this case making sure it does not get shocked
by sudden heat.
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Do
not forget to add the flour. Most recipes for fresh
egg custards do not contain flour, mine does! Why?
Because a little flour helps to stabilise the mixture,
to thicken it and most professional chefs do it
. . . although they wont tell you!
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Do
expect this mixture to go thick, thick like a packet
mix. As soon as it thickens slightly and coats the
back of the spoon it is ready. Remove from the heat
immediately and strain into a clean bowl.
When
making a Crème Anglaise, if you want it quite thick,
replace half the milk with cream.
Ensure
your eggs are fresh (they can/should have a 4 - 6 week
shelf life). As eggs (yolks) get stale they lose their
thickening properties. If you want to know how to tell
if your eggs are fresh read Using
Fresh Eggs.
Never
attempt to re-boil a fresh Crème Anglaise. Becasue of
its delicate nature it will curdle. If you want to use
it hot you must use it straight away.
RELATED RECIPE
Food
and Cooking Tips
from professional
Chef Tallyrand
Born
and raised in Plymouth, Tallyrand started his initial
training as a chef at Plymouth College of Further Education.
It was here that he was to learn his love, his passion
for food and the culinary arts. From here he headed
to Germany to complete his apprenticeship as Commis
de Gardemanger.
Germany
gave him his first taste of cooking for the rich and
famous, as half way through his first year, along with
the Sous Chef and a Chef de Partie, he was whisked off
to Cologne to help prepare meals for a political conference,
where amongst other dignitaries they cooked for Mr Brehznev,
the then powerful Russian leader. This was to prove
to be just one of the many celebrities he was to cook
for or get to know over the years . . .
If
you would like to find out more why not visit Tallyrand's
own web site www.tallyrand.info (link in main menu)
Email Hub-UK : info@hub-uk.com
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