The story
Crema catalana is one of Catalonia's oldest documented desserts, with medieval and early modern recipes predating many modern custards. It is traditionally associated with the feast of Saint Joseph on 19 March, which is why it is also called crema de Sant Josep. The dessert is known for a cool, delicately spiced custard and a thin sugar crust caramelised immediately before serving. Unlike many baked custards, it is generally thickened on the hob with egg yolks and starch and flavoured with lemon peel and cinnamon. It remains a central Catalan restaurant dessert and a family dish for Saint Joseph's Day. Cracking the glassy caramel with a spoon is part of the experience, and the flavour profile reflects Catalonia's long use of citrus and warm spice in sweets.
Ingredients
- Main
- 250 millilitre milk500ml milk
- 2 piece egg yolks4 egg yolks
- 50 gram sugar100g sugar
- 12.5 gram cornflour25g cornflour
- 0.5 piece Lemon zestLemon zest [Phase 1 metric normalisation: zest from half a lemon for serves 2]
- 0.5 piece cinnamon stick1 cinnamon stick
Method
Method
Infuse milk with zest and cinnamon. Whisk yolks, sugar, and cornflour, pour hot milk in, then return to heat until thickened. Cool, sprinkle sugar and caramelise before serving.
Nutrition
per serving
Estimated from recipe type and current ingredient text; review before publishing formal nutritional claims.
