Crème Anglaise
/krem ahng-GLEZ/
Crème anglaise is a pourable vanilla custard sauce made from milk or cream, egg yolks and sugar — no starch at all. It is cooked gently until the yolks thicken it just enough to coat a spoon. Churn it frozen and it becomes true ice cream; spoon it warm over desserts and it is the classic custard sauce.
Builds on
What it is
Anglaise is custard at its most honest: yolks, dairy, sugar and vanilla, thickened by nothing but the eggs themselves. Because there is no starch as a safety net, the cook walks a narrow line — enough heat to thicken the yolks, never enough to scramble them. The classic doneness cue is the nappe: the sauce coats the back of a spoon, and a finger drawn through leaves a clean line.
Why it matters
It is the base of real ice cream — churned and frozen, anglaise becomes French-style ice cream with a depth no shortcut mix can match. Warm, it is the sauce for puddings, tarts and soufflés. And it teaches the single most transferable skill in custard work: reading eggs by eye and feel rather than by timer.
Common mistakes
The fatal error is impatience. Too much heat and the yolks curdle into sweet scrambled egg — the sauce looks grainy and there is no full recovery, only damage control. The other extreme, timid heat, leaves a thin, eggy-tasting sauce. Gentle heat, constant stirring, and pulling the pan off the moment the sauce coats the spoon: that is the whole game.
Related terms
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between crème anglaise and pastry cream?
Starch. Pastry cream contains a starch that sets it thick enough to pipe and slice; crème anglaise has none, so it stays a pourable sauce. Anglaise is also more delicate to cook, because only the eggs stand between you and curdling.
Is crème anglaise the same as ice cream base?
Essentially yes — a classic French ice cream begins as a crème anglaise that is chilled and then churned. The richness of the yolks is what gives custard-based ice cream its smooth, dense body.
How do I know when crème anglaise is done?
Watch the spoon, not the clock. The sauce is ready when it visibly thickens and coats the back of a spoon so that a finger drawn across leaves a clean trail. If you see any graininess, the eggs have started to curdle and it should come off the heat immediately.
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Everything in our kitchen is baked fresh to order — eggless and vegan variants available.