Stirred custard (coating the back of a spoon)
Intermediate Eggs and butter
Gently cooking milk or cream with egg yolks until it thickens enough to coat a spoon.
Written with AI help from the sources listed, and published by Cory. Spot a mistake? Tell us and we'll fix it.
How do you do it?
- Whisk yolks and sugar, then slowly whisk in the hot milk or cream a ladle at a time.
- Return to the pot over low heat and stir constantly, scraping the bottom.
- It's done at about 170 to 180°F, when it coats a spoon and a finger swipe leaves a clean line.
- Strain it right away into a cool bowl to stop the cooking.
Why does it work?
Yolk proteins unfold and link up as they heat, trapping liquid and thickening it. Go much past 180°F and they bind too tightly, squeezing into lumps of scrambled egg.
What are the common mistakes?
- Adding hot liquid all at once — the yolks scramble.
- Heat too high or not stirring — curdled custard on the bottom.
Still stuck? Watch someone do it on YouTube.
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