Custard Cream

The French have a peculiar habit of naming their own dishes after other places. There are all manner of things à la grecque, like nothing ever seen in Greece but popular in Parisian bistros; various dishes à la milanaise never to be encountered in Milan; dishes named something-or-other maltaise, implying the presence of orange, and any number of dishes à l’americaine. The list goes on, but the English are the clear winners, their identity tagged onto an array of dishes and techniques. Knowing the French disdain for English cooking, the first time I saw something à l’anglaise I suspected a disclaimer. I anticipeted something designed to satisfy English tourists during the days of the grand tour, something never to be enjoyed by the French themselves and for which they assumed no responsibility. But in fact things cooked à l’anglaise are pretty good. Green vegetables à l’anglaise keep their color and crunch while the same vegetables cooked à la française turn mushy and gray. Veal scallops breaded à l’anglaise, with eggs and bread crumbs, are a triumph of fine cooking. Crème anglaise is fundamental to the art of French dessert making, it’s hard to imagine the French giving others the credit.