Chefs make custard by combining milk (or cream), sugar, vanilla and egg yolk. Industrially it is made without the egg yolk (due to cost) and the yellow colour is obtained by the use of colours. The thickener can be reduced to make it a pouring sauce (like crème anglaise) or increased to make a pastry filling like crème pâtissière.
This basic custard type recipe uses starch and carrageenan. Both the carrageenan and starch (unless pregelatinised) need heat to become fully functional. The heat required differs between different starch products, but usually starch begins to thicken at 60-70C.
Recipe Procedure
Add the dry ingredients to the milk and mix until homogeneous. Add colouring if applicable and mix. Pasteurise, cool and store.
Recipe Formulation
| Ingredient | % |
|---|---|
| Milk | 87 |
| Modified starch | 3 |
| Carrageenan | 0.025 |
| Sugar | 10 |
| Vanilla flavouring | as required |
| Colour (beta carotene or annatto) | as required |
| Total | ~100 |