Custard

Real custard and custard powder

There are two custards in British cooking. Real custard (crème anglaise) is made by whisking egg yolks with sugar, heating cream or milk to just below boiling, pouring it slowly over the egg mixture, then returning to low heat and stirring constantly until the custard coats the back of a spoon. It must not boil or it scrambles. Custard powder custard — made from Alfred Bird’s 1837 invention — uses cornflour instead of eggs, mixed with milk and sugar and heated briefly. The powder version is brighter yellow, slightly thicker, and entirely reliable; the real version is silkier, richer, and more complex.

Alfred Bird’s invention

Alfred Bird was a Birmingham chemist whose wife had allergies to both eggs and yeast. In 1837 he invented a cornflour-based custard powder that required no eggs and could be made reliably with hot milk. Bird’s Custard Powder — still made and sold — became one of the great British kitchen staples, appearing in every pantry and enabling generations of British cooks to produce consistent pouring custard without the technical demands of the egg version.

The British custard culture

The British pour custard over things that other food cultures would not. Apple crumble, spotted dick, toad in the hole (occasionally), bread-and-butter pudding, jam sponge, Christmas pudding, and mince pies are all candidates for custard. The custom of warm custard over warm dessert — two temperatures of warmth, two textures — is one of the defining characteristics of British comfort food. The quality of the custard matters enormously to the experience.

Crème pâtissière

Thick custard — crème pâtissière — is the pastry cream used to fill eclairs, tarts, profiteroles, and mille-feuille. Made with a higher proportion of cornflour or starch, it is firm enough to pipe and does not run when sliced. It is a fundamental component of French patisserie. The same egg-and-starch base used in different proportions produces everything from thin pouring custard to a firm sliceable cream.