This is how to make crema catalana at home

The burning of the candles arrives right on time for March 19th, to celebrate Saint Joseph. Pastry chef Èric Ortuño, from L'Atelier de Barcelona, ​​explains the steps to make it at home and achieve that aroma that the writer Josep Pla He claimed that it always permeated the houses when he did it.

The writer from Empordà referred to it precisely in his work, using the name of cream, Without any adjective. In the book The gray notebookShe mentions it thus: "My mother has made a burning," but in the volumes ofWhat we have eaten He calls him burnt cream"I have still eaten wonderful meals in private homes." burnt creams"...excellent sponge cakes, unbeatable fritters, and so many other delicacies of the same kind." With the dilemma of the name—cream, Catalan cream, or Saint Joseph's cream—we leave you with a simple recipe so you can prepare it at home.

Ingredients for 8 small cups of cream (

• 500g milk
• 30g cornstarch + 20g cold milk
• 100g sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 lemon peel

To burn the cream

• Sugar (amount to taste)

Making crema catalana

1. Bring the milk to a boil in a saucepan over the heat along with the flavorings, i.e., the cinnamon and the lemon.
2. Meanwhile, dilute the cornstarch with the cold milk, sugar, and egg yolks.
3. When the milk comes to a boil, pour in the previously prepared ingredients, freshly diluted. They all need to boil together.
4. When you check that the boiling is not producing bubbles and that the mixture has become a compact mass, turn off the heat and let it cool.
5. When the cream is cold, sprinkle sugar on top and with the help of a kitchen torch or a cream spatula (electric or iron, which you will have previously placed on the stovetop so that it is red hot), whip to your liking.

Enjoy!

The cream, up for debate

This dessert has always been associated with the arrival of warmer weather, longer days, the start of spring, and the increase in egg laying (the recipe uses several eggs). However, its preparation has recently evolved thanks to chefs who have worked to transform its texture. So much so, that today the custard can be enjoyed in bites any time of year. For lovers of culinary innovations and for those who prefer the traditional preparation, we'll explain all the secrets to making a good custard.

Some prefer to eat it without the layer of burnt sugar on top, while others believe it should always be there. And between these two opinions, there are even more ways to prepare it at home, such as with seasonal fruits, those that are just beginning to appear with spring.