Postre de Natas

The story

Postre de Natas is a Colombian dessert with a clear sense of place. Postre de natas is a traditional Colombian dessert with roots in colonial dairy cookery. Its defining technique uses the cream-rich skins that form on slowly heated milk. The recipe below keeps the defining ingredients and technique intact while giving practical metric quantities and enough detail for a home cook to judge texture, seasoning and doneness rather than simply follow a timer.

Ingredients

• 3000 ml whole milkpreferably non-homogenised
• 300 g caster sugar
• 200 ml water
• 4 piece egg yolks
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 60 g Raisinsoptional
• 1 piece cinnamon stick

Method

1. Pour 1 litre milk into the widest

   Pour 1 litre milk into the widest saucepan you have and bring very slowly just to a simmer. Lower the heat until the surface is almost still and a skin begins forming.

   Look for: the surface is almost still and a skin begins forming Tip: Use the broadest pan possible: more surface area creates more skin and shortens the process. Avoid: Boiling or stirring the milk prevents proper skins; homogenised low-fat milk produces weak natas; boiling after adding yolks can scramble them.

2. As each thick milk skin forms, lift

   As each thick milk skin forms, lift it gently with a slotted spoon onto a tray. Add more milk to the pan in stages and repeat. Patience matters: stirring prevents the natas from forming.

3. Simmer sugar, water and cinnamon for 8

   Simmer sugar, water and cinnamon for 8 minutes to make a light syrup. Remove cinnamon.

4. Whisk yolks in a bowl

   Whisk yolks in a bowl. Temper with a ladle of warm syrup, then whisk the yolk mixture back into the pan over low heat until very lightly thickened; do not boil.

   Look for: very lightly thickened; do not boil

5. Fold the collected milk skins into the

   Fold the collected milk skins into the syrup with vanilla and optional raisins, preserving their soft folds rather than breaking them into paste.

6. Cool completely, then chill for several hours

   Cool completely, then chill for several hours. Serve small portions because the flavour is delicate but rich.

   Look for: The collected natas are thick enough to lift intact and the finished syrup lightly coats rather than curdles around them.

Nutrition

per serving

Estimated from the listed ingredients and default serving size. Actual values vary with brands, trimming, absorption and cooking losses.