Pistachio Creme Anglaise Food

PISTACHIO CREME ANGLAISE

Steps:

• Whisk yolks and sugar in a bowl until pale and thick, about 4 minutes. Set aside.
• Put milk and cream in a medium saucepan, and heat over medium heat until just about to simmer. Reduce heat to low. Whisk 1/3 cup milk mixture into yolk mixture; pour mixture back into pan. Whisk in pistachio paste. Raise heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 8 minutes.
• Pour mixture through a fine sieve into a stainless-steel bowl set in an ice-water bath. Let stand until cold, stirring occasionally. Creme can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days.

CREME ANGLAISE

Steps:

• In a medium mixing bowl, using a whip, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until they are very pale yellow and smooth.
• In a medium saucepan, bring to a boil the heavy cream, sour cream, and vanilla bean with its scrapings. Whisk about half into the egg yolk mixture until well combined, then pour back into the saucepan. Over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, cook until the mixture heavily coats the back of the spoon. Don't scramble the eggs.
• Strain into a clean bowl and set the bowl over ice cubes and cold water until chilled, stirring occasionally. Refrigerate, covered, until needed.
• Note: To make coffee Creme Anglaise, substitute 1/4 cup crushed coffee beans (with or without caffeine) for the vanilla bean. Bring to a boil and let steep in the cream mixture, covered for about 10 minutes. When well flavored, whisk into the egg yolks. then continue with recipe
• To crush coffee beans, place in a plastic bag, close the bag, and heavily press a rolling pin over the beans. Do not grind the beans because this will darken the Creme Anglaise.

PISTACHIO CREME ANGLAISE

Steps:

• Pour milk in a large pan, and cook on high heat. When milk starts boiling, remove from heat. Put a large empty bowl and another one filled with ice the refrigerator. Pour egg yolks and sugar into an electric mixer and mix until it becomes thick and white. Leave aside. Put milk back on heat and bring to boil. Pour a little milk into egg and sugar mix whipping constantly. Pour into milk pan and cook at low temperature stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until firm consistency (about 5 minutes). Do not bring to boil. To check if creme is ready, rub your finger on the back of the spoon and if it leaves a trace, the creme is cooked. Add the pistachio paste. Put the bowl on ice to stop the cooking process. Cover and refrigerate for several hours.

FRENCH SEMOLINA CAKE WITH PISTACHIO CRèME ANGLAISE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9- or 10-inch springform pan, and wrap the outside of the pan with foil (this will ensure that no batter leaks out during the baking process).
• In a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan, combine the milk with half the sugar and bring to a boil. Stir in the semolina and cook over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until thickened (about 10 minutes). Stir in half the butter and the remaining sugar. Remove from the heat and cool, stirring now and then. Stir in the remaining butter, the whole eggs plus 6 yolks, and the vanilla. In an electric mixer fitted with a whisk, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry, and fold by thirds into the semolina mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Place the pan in a larger baking dish and add warm water to reach about halfway up the cake pan. Bake for 1 hour. Test with a toothpick or skewer to see if the cake is set and the crumb is dry. Remove from the oven and water bath and cool completely before removing from the pan. Serve with the crème anglaise and fresh berries or cherries.
• Toast the nuts in a 350°F oven for a few minutes to dry them out and loosen the skins. Wrap the nuts in a dish towel and rub off the skins (as much as possible). When the nuts are cool, grind them very finely. Place the nuts, milk, and cream in a small saucepan and bring just to the boiling point. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for about 30 minutes. Strain through a fine strainer or cheesecloth and discard the nuts.
• Using a 2-quart saucepan set over medium heat, whisk together the sugar, salt, and egg yolks. In a separate small saucepan, heat the pistachio milk just until it begins to boil, then whisk a small amount into the yolk mixture. Gradually add the remaining milk, stirring constantly. Continue to heat the mixture slowly, to just below the boiling point (but do not let it boil), until it thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the almond extract, and continue to stir for a few minutes. Strain the custard into a bowl and set aside or refrigerate until ready to use. To serve, spoon a generous pool of the custard onto a small dessert plate and top with a slice of the cake.