A simple baked custard is one of life’s little delights! Â Whether encased in a crispy pastry crust, or just on its own, it’s a demonstration of how very few ingredients can be combined to make something truly delicious. Â In this recipe we have served it with some simple preserved rhubarb to cut through the richness. Â Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
- 125ml whole milk
- 125ml double cream
- 1/2 tsp vanilla paste
- 4 egg yolks
- 45g caster sugar
- grated nutmeg
For the rhubarb:
- 400g pink rhubarb
- 225g caster sugar
- 225ml water
- 1 cinnamon stick
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Method
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Preheat the oven to 120°C Fan.  Heat the milk, cream, vanilla and a small grating of nutmeg in a saucepan until almost boiling point.
- Whisk the egg yolks together with the caster sugar until they have become pale.
- Once the cream mixture is ready, gently pour it in to the egg mixture, whisking as you pour.
- Pour this mixture through a sieve in to a jug and allow to settle for a minute. Â This will allow any foam to rise to the top which can then be skimmed off.
- Pour the remaining mixture in to two ramekins and place on a baking tray. Â
- Bake in the oven for about 35 minutes, or until the mixture is just set with a slight wobble in the middle! Â Allow to cool.
- To make the preserved rhubarb, it will be prettiest if you use the pinkest parts of the stalk, or use early, forced rhubarb. Â Peel the stalks, and place the peelings in a saucepan with the sugar, water and cinnamon stick.
- Heat the sugar and peel mixture until all the sugar has dissolved.
- Strain through a sieve and return the pink liquid to the saucepan.
- Cut the rhubarb stalks in to 4 or 5 pieces lengthways, depending on how big they are. Â Add these pieces to the saucepan and heat gently for 3-4 minutes until they are just soft. Â Be careful not to overcook as they will disintegrate quickly!
- Allow the rhubarb to cool, and serve with the baked custard.  Keep any left over rhubarb and syrup in a jar to serve with homemade vanilla ice cream 🙂Â
