Custards

The only tricky part about making egg-thickened custards, like flan and crème brûlée, is the baking. I’m not a fan of unnecessary fussing, but here a water bath, which promotes even cooking, is worthwhile. And you must always remember that custard is done when still quite jiggly in the center. The first time you make a custard you will, like everyone else, overcook it a bit. But when the sides are set and the center is still looking a bit underdone, it is ready.

A word about the composition of the custard itself: Heavy cream produces that rich, luxurious custard that you get at the best restaurants. But half-and-half (which, relatively speaking, is practically skim milk) yields a smooth, rich custard that doesn’t make you feel like you’ve eaten a pint of ice cream, and even straight milk makes a fine, light custard. The choice is yours, obviously.