Rich vanilla custard
For me, vanilla's perfume is among my favourite smells. Its intoxicating scent can go too far, however: workers who handle lots of vanilla daily are exposed to a mite that can induce headaches, lassitude and allergic skin reactions. This reaction is called vanillism.
Ingredients
3 vanilla beans
1 litre of milk
250g of caster sugar
10 egg yolks
Method
Split 3 vanilla beans lengthways and scrape the black seeds out into a pot with a litre of milk and bring to the boil. Meanwhile, in a bowl, add 250g of caster sugar to 10 egg yolks and whisk until the mixture is creamy. Add the boiled milk and whisk well. Place the bowl over a pot filled to a third with simmering water, sitting on a medium heat. The bowl should sit snugly on the pot but the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water. Keep stirring with a wooden spoon until the custard thickens and coats the back of the wooden spoon.
To serve
Cool before serving with berries, fruit, puddings or pastries.
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