BAKING

When In Doubt..


Kees van Dongen
The Corn Poppy, 1919
Oil on Canvas, 21 1/2 x 18″
Gift of Audrey Jones Beck
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

I was originally going to make yet another nod to nostalgia, but my creativity got the better of me and I decided to make a custard instead. To be perfectly honest, I was beginning to feel a little discouraged because I have been performing some lack luster experiments the last few days that have caused me to feel nothing short of incompetent.
So I needed to make something I knew would blow my own socks off: a custard.

But what flavor? I’d decide once I got to the store. So I changed Leo’s diaper, put his shoes and socks back on, grabbed my purse and loaded Leo into the car and headed off to Central Market. Savory? Sweet? Why not both? Indeed!…Rosemary and Lemon? Or basil or mint? I’ll wait to see what they have at the store. Well, Tim does have plenty of rosemary in the yard.

I parked the car, nestled Leo onto my shoulder and headed for the entrance. After storing my canvas shopping bags and my purse in the bottom of the cart, I walked on inside. One of the first things that I saw was a great big display for organic basil. So organic basil it was, along with a dozen organic eggs, three organic lemons, some granulated sugar, organic heavy cream and cornstarch. Ooh I was so excited, I quickly gathered the rest of the items on my list and b-lined it for the check out.

After enduring the slowest possible check out clerk, I finally made it out of the store only to be greeted by heavy afternoon traffic. By the time I made it home it was nearly five o’clock.

I thought of putting it off until tomorrow, but Leo did fall asleep on the way home from the store and the moment I took the basil from the grocery bag, I couldn’t resist the slightly spicy sweet aroma filling the air all about me.

Every moment of waiting melted into nothingness when the milk engulfed the basil and the sugar melted into the egg yolks. My senses were at full attention and I was ready to surrender to the magic that was happening at the end of my whisk, the tip of my spoons.



BASIL-INFUSED CUSTARD WITH LEMON CHANTILLY CREAM

1 Egg
6 Egg Yolks
2 ½ Cups Whole Milk
1 ¼ Cups Granulated Sugar
¼ Cup Cornstarch
4 Large Stems Fresh Basil, rinsed, with leaves removed, about 40 leaves


In a heavy bottomed saucepan, heat the milk, ½ cup sugar and the basil leaves until just before the milk comes to a boil. You know when the milk has come to temperature when a delicate, lacelike ring of bubbles forms a definitive, swollen ring about the perimeter of the pan. Immediately remove from the heat and allow the basil leaves to infuse the hot milk for 15 minutes or until the leaves are nearly black.

In the meantime, whisk together the cornstarch and the remaining cup of sugar. Add the egg and egg yolks and whisk vigorously until fluffy and the color of pale sulfur.

Once the basil has released the last of its’ oils, gently dip a small strainer into the hot milk and remove the basil leaves. Next take a ½ cup sized ladle and begin spooning the warm milk into the eggs, whisking the egg and sugar mixture constantly. Repeat this process until the milk is reduced by ¾. Pour the tempered eggs back into the pan and set the heat on low. Stirring ceaselessly with a rubber spatula, heat the custard for 15 minutes more. When the custard begins to thicken, again whisk the mixture for 7 more minutes to eliminate any unsightly lumps and aerates the confection slightly. This will give your custard that unforgettable velvety texture that is simultaneously light and creamy.

Extinguish the heat and ladle the custard into five one cup ramekins or custard cups. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to set completely and overnight for the best results.


The following day, prepare your lemon infused Chantilly cream:




LEMON CHANTILLY CREAM

1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
¼ Teaspoon Mexican Vanilla Extract
2 ½ Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
1 Teaspoon Lemon Zest, shaved; about 1 lemon

In a mixer with the whisk attachment, get the cream going until it begins to hold limp peaks. Add the sugar, vanilla and lemon zest and continue to whisk the cream until it holds soft waves and soft-serve style peaks. (Think curved peak as apposed to pointy.)

To serve your Basil Custards with Lemon Infused Chantilly Cream, remove your custards from the refrigerator and garnish with a small dollop of the Lemon Cream and a lovely sprig of basil.

Serves 5




Willem Claesz Heda, Dutch, 1594-1680
Banquet Piece with Ham, 1656
Oil on Canvas, 44 x 60″
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond H. Goodrich
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

April 25th, 2007 — 10:57 pm

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