Recipe: Crème Anglaise

1 In a fairly thick saucepan, bring your milk and cream to a boil with your vanilla. Don't forget to add a teaspoon of water beforehand to prevent your milk from sticking.

2 In a bowl, add the yolks and work them with a whisk together with your sugar (blanching).

3 When boiling, pour the milk over your yolks, stir and put everything back in your saucepan, then place it back on low heat. Arm yourself with a wooden spatula and keep stirring (whisking). It must absolutely not boil!

4 The technique is simple: when you lift the spatula, if you can draw a line with your finger and the mark stays visible, your cream is cooked (coating). The real technical term is "cooked to the ribbon". Remove it immediately from the heat and gently strain it through a fine sieve or cheesecloth.

5 Let cool to room temperature then refrigerate. A chef's tip: if you see your crème anglaise is overcooked (small grains, lumps), don't panic. Pour it all into a bottle of mineral water and shake it from top to bottom like a maraca. Normally, it should be saved.