Crema Catalana - a great dessert

Crema Catalana is typical of Catalonia, but found in good restaurants all over Spain. It's essentially a light custard, caramelized on top. It's easy enough to make and a real treat.

Ingredients:

• 1 liter milk
• 8 egg yokes
• 10 soup spoons sugar
  (6 for the Crema, 4 to burn)
• Peel of a lemon
• 1 1/2 to 2 soup spoons corn starch

Preparation:

• Put milk on to boil with 4 spoons sugar and lemon peel.
• Meanwhile, beat egg yokes, 2 spoons sugar and corn starch in a bowl until smooth.
• When milk just reaches a boil, spoon hot milk and slowly over the egg-sugar-corn starch mixture. Once this is done, return mixture to the saucepan and cook slowly for 5 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
• Once cooked, strain into individual servings and chill.
• Once chilled, sprinkle with sugar and caramelize with a red-hot iron or a blowtorch.

Note: In Spain you can find round patterned flat irons with a handle, especially made for the task of caramelizing (burning) the sugar on top. While these make a prettier pattern, any hot piece of iron (poker, etc.) will do the job.

Enjoy

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