Crema Catalana (Catalan Burnt Custard)

A silky lemon and cinnamon custard with a crisp caramelised sugar top.

TIME BREAKDOWN
Prep: 4h 15m
Cook: 20 min
Total: 4 hours 35 minutes
Vegetarian
✅
Nuts
❌
Serves
4 people
Difficulty
Easy

Ingredients

  • 500ml whole milk
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 strip lemon peel
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 2 tbsp cornflour
  • 4 tbsp caster sugar, for the topping

Method

  1. Heat the milk, cinnamon stick and lemon peel in a saucepan until steaming. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 15 minutes, then remove the cinnamon and peel.

  2. Whisk the egg yolks, 100g caster sugar and cornflour in a bowl until pale and smooth. Gradually whisk in the warm milk.

  3. Return to the pan and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, for 5 to 8 minutes until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not let it boil.

  4. Pour into 4 shallow ramekins, cool, then cover and chill for at least 4 hours.

  5. Just before serving, sprinkle 1 tbsp caster sugar over each custard and caramelise with a cook's blowtorch until golden, or place under a very hot grill for 2 to 3 minutes. Leave for 2 minutes to harden.