CREMA CREMADA

Crema catalana is the Spanish version of French crème brûlée. Custard is a very old recipe, featured in Spanish collections dating from the late Middle Ages but a version that reminds of crema catalana as we know it was published in the 18th century. Even there, sugar was not caramelized, it was the milk that was burnt. The original custard was dedicated to Saint Joseph but the final version was renamed after its place of origin.

Crema cremada literally means 'burnt custard' in Catalan though Juan Altamira, the Franciscan friar who introduced the modern recipe, called it 'burnt milk'. His real name was Raimundo Gómez and he was cook of the monastery of San Diego in Zaragoza. His cookbook Nuevo arte de cocina was published in 1745 and quickly became a success. The National Library of Spain offers a digital version and the recipe for crema catalana is on page 128.

"Leche assada.

Tomaràs dos quartillos de Leche, com una libra de azucar, rebuelta com una docena de huevos batidos; rebuervelo todo, ponle fuego arriba, y abaxo, y se assarà. Tiene el gusto de quesada." (pg 128)

 

 

View of Zaragoza (1647) by Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazo

Incidentally, Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well (1891) by Pellegrino Artusi featured a recipe by the same name ('burnt milk') which is too complicated to make. Modern versions of crema catalana use only egg yolks, a little sugar in the custard and the remaining on top, and sometimes cream rather than milk. Spanish crème brûlée is also typically flavored with cinammon and lemon peel.

 

 

 

CREMA CREMADA

The recipe by Juan Altamira used 12 eggs for 2.4lt milk. Compared to modern versions of Spanish crème brûlée, the eggs are too few  so I doubled the number.

I n g r e d i e n t s 

400ml fresh milk

100g caster sugar

4 eggs, separated

a cinnamon stick

lemon peel

 

M e t h o d

Whisk the sugar and yolks in a bowl, the whites in another. Place the milk, cinnamon stick, and lemon peel in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, remove the cinnamon and lemon peel, and combine a little of the milk with the sugar and yolks. Pour into the saucepan, incorporate the meringue, and cook gently until thick. Divide among 3-4 individual ramekins, top with more sugar, and grill until the sugar is lightly burnt. Serve warm.

 

N o t e

Good custard is made with just egg yolks and even better with cream.