Starchbound Custards

Starchbound custards are cooked over direct heat or baked in a moderate oven and made even more stable by the addition of a starch. Unlike stirred custards, they are cooked to temperatures above 82°C (180°F), as they must be boiled for at least 2 minutes to eliminate the raw starch taste, destroy the alpha-amylase enzyme, and thicken to the desired consistency. They may be made with or without the addition of eggs. When eggs are a component, they are beaten together with the starch and sugar before cooking. The starch coats the eggs and prevents curdling. Starchbound custards are denser than the other custards and can withstand higher and more prolonged cooking periods. Overheating may cause the corners of the pan to burn, and both overheating and overstirring might cause a starchbound custard to become runny; undercooking results in an unpleasant raw starch taste. As with stirred custards, the cooking time and stirring process is crucial to a perfect ending.