Summer Berries With Bay Leaf Custard Recipes

BERRIES WITH ITALIAN CUSTARD

Steps:

• Cook's Note: For a nonalcoholic version, substitute the port with 1/4 cup white grape juice mixed with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.
• In a medium bowl, combine the berries with 1 tablespoon port and 1 tablespoon sugar. Allow to sit and macerate while you prepare the zabaione.
• Bring a small pot of water to a boil over medium heat. In a bowl that will fit over the top of the pot, beat the egg yolks with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with an electric hand mixer until pale. Place the bowl over simmering water and, with the beater running slowly, drizzle in the remaining 3 tablespoons port. Continue to beat until the mixture becomes very thick and has doubled in volume, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Divide half the berries among 4 serving glasses. Top each with a generous dollop of zabaione, garnish with the remaining berries and serve immediately.

SUMMER BERRIES WITH BAY LEAF CUSTARD

Steps:

• Beat together the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until thick and pale, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer yolk mixture to a 2 to 3 quart heavy saucepan and stir in the milk, cream, and bay leaves. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and the mixture registers 175 F on an instant read thermometer. Do not let it boil. This should take approximately 8 to 10 minutes.
• Remove mixture from the heat and cool the custard to room temperature in pan, stirring frequently to prevent a skin from forming on the top, about 1 hour.
• Discard bay leaves and serve the custard over the mixed berries.

BERRIES WITH CUSTARD SAUCE

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually stir in milk until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Add a small amount to eggs; return all to pan, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for 2-1/2 minutes or until mixture reaches 160°., Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and vanilla. Set saucepan in ice and stir mixture for 5 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Serve over berries.

PEAR & BLACKBERRY CRUMBLE WITH BAY LEAF CUSTARD

Steps:

• First, make the custard. Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl until just broken up - they shouldn't be frothy. Pour the milk and sugar into a saucepan and warm over a low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar, until almost boiling. Add the bay leaves, remove from the heat, and leave to infuse for 10 mins. If the milk mixture has cooled after this time, briefly warm it up again until just steaming, then remove from the heat. Discard the bay leaves and pour a little of the mixture into the whisked egg yolks. Whisk in the splash of milk, then pour the yolk mixture into the milk pan, whisking continuously to combine. Cook over a low-medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, and silky smooth. Strain through a sieve and set aside. The custard can be served warm or cold - you can chill it at this stage, or set aside to reheat later.
• For the crumble topping, combine the flour, sugar, oats, pumpkin seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, spices and a pinch of salt in a bowl, then pour over the butter. Mix well. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Butter a large ceramic baking dish. Combine the pears, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and knob of butter in a medium pan, then set over a low heat. Cook for 4-5 mins, gently stirring, until the pears have released some juice and are slightly softened, but not falling apart. Remove from the heat and tip into the dish along with half the cooking juices released into the pan. Dot the blackberries among the filling.
• Scatter the crumble topping all over the filling, then bake for 25-30 mins until golden, crisp and bubbling at the edges. Leave to stand for 10 mins before serving with the custard, alongside the remaining pan juices.

BERRIES WITH VANILLA CUSTARD

Steps:

• In a small heavy saucepan, mix cream, egg yolks and sugar. Cook and stir over low heat until mixture is just thick enough to coat a metal spoon and a thermometer reads at least 160°. Do not allow to boil., Transfer to a bowl; stir in vanilla. Refrigerate, covered, until cold. Serve over fresh berries.

FRIED FRUIT WITH BAY LEAF SAUCE

Steps:

• Sauce (can be prepared in advance): mix all ingredients in a small pot. Heat on medium high heat and stir all the time. The mixture will thicken during heating to a temperature of about 175 F (80 C). It is important that during heating the mixture will constantly be stirred. Do not let the sauce boil. The sauce has the right conistency, if it builds a thick film on the backside of a tablespoon.
• Remove sauce from heat and stir for 2 minutes. Set aside and let cool down completely.
• Prepare berries: Wash small panicles of red currant and pat dry with paper towels. Wash grapes and cut into clusters of 3-5 berries.
• In a suited pot or deep fryer heat about 2 inches high oil for frying.
• Combine flour, sugar, ground nutmeg and ground cinnamon.
• Mix egg, milk and 1 tablespoon oil. Add to flour mixture and beat until smooth.
• Dip berries and sage leaves into batter.
• Fry berries in hot oil for about 1 minute or until batter is light golden brown. Fry sage leaves until batter is light golden brown and puffed up.
• Remove with slotted spoon; drain on paper towels.
• While still warm sprinkle the fired red currant berries and the sage leaves slightly with some sugar.
• Serve berries and sage leaves still warm with the cold bay leaf sauce.
• NOTE: You can replace the berries in this recipe against others of your choice, but use fresh ones. They should not be to sweet. Or choose a sweet and a more tart one.
• NOTE: I used fresh bay leaves. If you have no fresh leaves, you can use dried ones, but you may have to use more leaves. Try the sauce during heating and add more leaves to your taste. The sauce should have a delicate vanilla taste and additional notes.