Fresh egg custard

delicious. tips

1. Custard must be cooked slowly over a very low heat and stirred constantly, until it gradually thickens to the point where it coats the back of a wooden spoon. Boiling point is the enemy once you have added the eggs, so always keep the temperature of the custard just below the boil. If it boils, the eggs will begin to separate, much as they would if you were making scrambled eggs. If this happens, you may be able to save the custard by quickly straining the egg mixture through a sieve into a blender and whizzing it until smooth. You may then reheat it with a little blended cornflour and milk to help it stabilise, but all this will depend on how far it has curdled in the first place. So the golden rule is that you shouldn’t be tempted to increase the heat. It will only take about 8 minutes to cook, and remember: a fresh egg custard thickens only to something akin to fresh pouring double cream.