Name: Crema catalana, cinnamon and lemon custard under a caramel crust
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 375 ml whole milk; 3 egg yolks; 1 level tbsp cornflour (cornstarch); 100 g sugar; 1 cinnamon stick; the zest of ½ lemon, in strips, with no white pith; extra sugar for caramelising

Crema catalana looks like crème brûlée, but it is made with milk rather than cream. The milk is flavoured with cinnamon and lemon, then thickened with egg yolks and cornflour. In Catalonia it is traditionally made for Saint Joseph's Day, 19 March.

A cold, soft custard flavoured with lemon and cinnamon, under a thin sheet of caramel that cracks under the spoon.

Method

Heat the milk with the lemon zest and cinnamon. As soon as it starts to boil, turn off the heat and leave it to infuse for 10 minutes.

In a bowl, whisk the yolks with the sugar until pale. Mix the cornflour with a splash of cold milk, add it and stir well until there are no lumps.

Strain the milk to remove the cinnamon and lemon. Pour it onto the yolks a little at a time, stirring constantly so they don't cook.

Return everything to the pan over a medium-low heat and stir constantly with a spatula or wooden spoon. The custard thickens little by little. It is ready when it coats the spoon. Don't let it boil, or it will split.

Divide it between 4 small dishes. Let it cool, then chill for at least 2 hours.

Just before serving, sprinkle over a layer of sugar and burn it with a kitchen blowtorch until you have a crisp golden crust. Without a blowtorch, put the dishes under the grill and watch them very closely.