Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Fresh Strawberries
- 500 g fresh strawberries, hulled and halved (or quartered if large)
- 15 g granulated sugar
Almond Custard (Crème Anglaise)
- 250 ml whole milk
- 125 ml heavy cream
- 4 egg yolks, room temperature
- 60 g granulated sugar
- 5 ml pure almond extract
- 2 ml vanilla extract
- 1 g salt
Garnish
- 30 g sliced almonds, toasted
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbohydrates
- 35 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 29 g
- Sodium
- 143 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 10 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 236 mg
- Potassium
- 379 mg
- Calcium
- 155 mg
- Iron
- 1.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 46 mg
- Phosphorus
- 207 mg
- Zinc
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 227 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 74 mg
- Vitamin D
- 2.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 3.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 4 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.7 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.11 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.38 mg
- Niacin
- 0.8 mg
- Folate
- 64 mcg
- Water
- 197 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the prepared strawberries in a mixing bowl. If they are tart, toss them with the optional sugar and let them sit while you prepare the custard.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the milk, cream, and salt. Heat over medium heat until it just begins to simmer around the edges (about 85°C/185°F). Do not let it come to a rolling boil.
While the dairy heats, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a separate heat-proof bowl until the mixture is pale yellow and slightly thickened.
Slowly pour about half of the hot milk mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly to temper the eggs. This prevents them from scrambling.
Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, scraping the bottom and corners.
Continue cooking until the custard reaches 82°C-84°C (180°F-183°F) and thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon ('nappe'). If you run a finger through the sauce on the spoon, the line should hold its shape.
Immediately remove from heat and pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to catch any cooked egg bits. Stir in the almond extract and vanilla extract.
Divide the strawberries among serving bowls. Pour the warm almond custard generously over the fruit and top with toasted sliced almonds for crunch.
Chef's Notes
- Temperature control is key for Crème Anglaise. If you don't have a thermometer, the 'rose' test (blowing on the back of the coated spoon creates a rose pattern) is a classic indicator of doneness.
- For a more intense almond flavor without extract, you can steep 50g of toasted chopped almonds in the hot milk for 20 minutes, then strain before adding to the eggs.
- If you prefer a cold dessert, chill the custard for 4 hours and serve over macerated strawberries.
- Leftover whites can be used to make financiers or meringues to accompany this dish.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store custard in an airtight container with plastic wrap touching the surface to prevent skin formation.
Reheating: Gently warm over a water bath or on very low heat, stirring constantly to avoid scrambling.
Troubleshooting
Custard looks grainy or lumpy
Cause: The eggs were overheated (scrambled)
Fix: Immediately pour into a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds to smooth out the texture
Prevention: Keep heat low and stir constantly; remove from heat immediately at 82°C/180°F
Custard is too thin
Cause: Undercooked; did not reach 82°C/180°F
Fix: Return to low heat and cook gently until thickened
Prevention: Use a thermometer to ensure target temperature is reached
Cultural Context
Crème Anglaise (English Cream) is a fundamental sauce in French gastronomy. Despite its name implying British origins, it was perfected in French kitchens as the base for Île Flottante and ice cream bases. Pairing it warm with fresh fruit is a simple, rustic presentation often found in European country cooking.
