Creme Anglais, a classic French dessert sauce, is often misspelled as "creme anglaise". The correct spelling, however, includes the final "s" in the word "anglais". In IPA phonetic transcription, "creme" is pronounced /ˈkrɛm/ and "anglais" is pronounced /aŋɡlɛ/. The final "s" in "anglais" indicates that it is a plural noun, referring to the "English creams" used in the recipe. So, if you want to make the perfect Creme Anglais, make sure to spell it correctly!
Creme Anglaise is a traditional French dessert sauce that translates to English cream in English. It is a sweet and smooth custard sauce made from a combination of milk, sugar, vanilla, and egg yolks. The sauce gets its name from its consistency and the fact that it was originally inspired by English custard.
To prepare Creme Anglaise, milk is heated until it reaches a near boil, then combined with sugar and vanilla to infuse flavor. Separately, egg yolks are whisked until they become creamy and pale yellow. The hot milk mixture is slowly poured into the egg yolks while continuously whisking to avoid curdling. The mixture is then returned to the stovetop and gently heated until it thickens, making sure to avoid boiling to prevent scrambling the eggs.
The resulting Creme Anglaise has a velvety texture, reminiscent of a thin custard. It is typically used as a sauce to accompany various desserts such as cakes, pastries, fruit tarts, or as a base for creating ice creams and frozen desserts. It adds richness, creaminess, and a subtle vanilla flavor to a variety of sweet treats. Additionally, Creme Anglaise can be flavored with additional ingredients like chocolate, coffee, or liqueurs to create different variations.
The word Creme Anglaise has French origins and translates to English cream in English. The etymology can be understood by dissecting the term:
1. Creme: Derived from the Latin word crema, meaning cream.
2. Anglaise: The French word for English. The term Anglaise is formed by adding the suffix -aise to Angl- (representing Anglais which means English).
The name Creme Anglaise likely reflects the introduction or popularity of this type of sauce in England or its association with English cuisine, hence the designation as English cream.