Equipment
Ingredients
Garlic Custard (Royale)
- 250 ml whole milk, room temperature
- 4 garlic, crushed
- 2 eggs, large
- 2 g salt
Tomato Broth
- 300 ml tomato juice
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic, smashed
- salt
Garnish
- 12 shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 60 g red bell pepper, finely diced (brunoise)
- 5 g chives, finely chopped
- 15 ml olive oil
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 232 kcal
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbohydrates
- 9 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 7 g
- Sodium
- 501 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 4 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 10 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 160 mg
- Potassium
- 454 mg
- Calcium
- 130 mg
- Iron
- 1.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 35 mg
- Phosphorus
- 214 mg
- Zinc
- 1.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 100 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 32 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 8 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.5 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.06 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.24 mg
- Niacin
- 0.3 mg
- Folate
- 22 mcg
- Water
- 121 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Combine milk, crushed garlic (4 cloves), and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a bare simmer over medium heat, then remove from heat. Cover and let steep for 15 minutes to infuse the garlic flavor.
In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs gently to break them up without creating excess foam. Slowly pour the warm garlic-infused milk into the eggs while whisking constantly (tempering).
Strain the egg mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a measuring jug to remove garlic solids and chalaza. Divide the mixture evenly among 4 lightly oiled ramekins.
Place ramekins in a steamer basket over simmering water. Cover the ramekins with foil to prevent water dripping in. Steam on low heat until the custard is set but wobbles slightly in the center, like gelatin. Remove and let cool slightly.
While custards rest, combine tomato juice, 30ml olive oil, and 1 smashed garlic clove in a clean saucepan. Simmer gently until slightly reduced and emulsified. Season with salt to taste. Discard garlic clove.
Heat remaining 15ml olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the shrimp and diced red bell peppers. Cook shrimp until pink and opaque (approx. 2 minutes per side) and peppers are crisp-tender.
To serve, run a thin knife around the edge of each custard and carefully invert it into the center of a shallow bowl. Pour the hot tomato broth around the custard. Top with sautéed shrimp, peppers, and fresh chives.
Chef's Notes
- Strain the custard mixture twice for the absolute smoothest, glass-like texture.
- If you find unmolding difficult, you can serve the custard directly in the ramekin and pour the broth over the top for a simpler presentation.
- Using high-quality tomato juice is key here; look for brands with no added sugar or celery salt for a pure flavor profile.
- For a clearer broth, you can strain the tomato juice through a coffee filter (tomato water technique), though this recipe uses the full juice for body.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store custard and broth separately to prevent texture degradation.
Reheating: Gently steam custard to warm; heat broth separately on stove.
Troubleshooting
Custard has bubbles or a honeycomb texture
Cause: Cooking temperature was too high (eggs curdled)
Fix: Cannot be fixed, but still edible
Prevention: Steam on low heat; ensure water is barely simmering, not boiling aggressively
Custard is liquid in the center
Cause: Undercooked
Fix: Return to steamer immediately
Prevention: Check earlier; if liquid, continue steaming in 2-minute intervals
Cultural Context
This dish borrows the technique of a French 'Royale' (a garnish custard usually cut into shapes for consommé) but elevates it to a main component. The pairing of garlic and tomato nods to Spanish gazpachos and garlic soups, while the texture mimics Japanese Chawanmushi.
