Crème anglaise

This vanilla custard is light and lush with its speckles of real vanilla seeds. Traditionally, the only thickening ingredient is egg yolk, but I add a spoonful of cornflour to make it more stable and prevent it from curdling.

Makes about 600ml • Preparation: 10 minutes • Cooking time: 10 minutes

• 500ml full-cream milk

• 3ml vanilla seeds*

• 80ml castor sugar

• 5 egg yolks

• 5ml cornflour

1 Heat the milk and vanilla seeds in a saucepan until just before the milk reaches boiling point.

2 Beat the castor sugar, egg yolks and cornflour until light and fluffy. Gradually beat the hot milk into the egg mixture until combined – this prevents the eggs from curdling. Pour everything back into the saucepan and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon over low heat. The custard will thicken slightly and coat the back of a spoon when it’s done. (Draw a line with your finger across the spoon – if the line remains visible, the custard is ready.)

3 Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl and allow to cool; stir frequently to prevent a skin from forming on top. Refrigerate until needed.