CHEF JEFF — ONE BYTE AT A TIME: Crema Catalana

This delicious topping is great on fruit, cookies or cake.

Crema Catalana

6 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

4 cups whole milk, divided

Peel of one lemon

1 cinnamon stick

1¾ ounces cornstarch

1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

In bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar until they become fine cream. Add 3 cups of milk; whisk to combine. Pour into saucepan, add lemon peel, cinnamon. Heat at medium-high. In bowl, dissolve cornstarch in remaining milk; stir mixture into saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Cook, stir until steam comes off mixture, foam is gone, mixture turns yellow. It’s done if you can draw line on stirring spoon with knife and line stays clear with no dripping. Stir in vanilla. Let mixture cool a bit, stirring; distribute into small earthenware dishes. Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours. When cool, sprinkle with sugar; use kitchen blow torch, moving rapidly, evenly, to form crunchy, caramelized crust. Or put under broiler until sugar caramelizes.

Yield: Serves 8.

Grab more food tidbits at the Chef Jeff blog at GrandForksHerald.com.

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