Egg-Liquid Mixtures:
Custards and Creams
Definitions
Eggs are mixed with other liquids across a
tremendous range of proportions. One
tablespoon of cream will enrich a scrambled
egg, while one beaten egg will slightly thicken
a pint of milk into an eggnog. Just about in the
middle of this range — at around 4 parts
liquid to 1 part egg, or 1 cup/250 ml to 1 or 2
eggs — are the custards and creams, dishes in
which the egg proteins give substantial body
to otherwise thin liquids. These terms are
often used interchangeably, which obscures a
useful distinction.
In this section I’ll use custard to mean a dish
prepared and served in the same container,
often baked and therefore unstirred, so that it
sets into a solid gel. The custard family
includes savory quiches and timbales as well
as sweet flans, crèmes caramels, pots de