CookEat Recipe
Latte alla Portoghese
A pale reduced-milk custard scented with vanilla and unmoulded from a thin caramel-lined oval mould.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: 1 litre pasteurised whole milk; 100 g caster sugar for the milk; 30 g additional caster sugar for a thin caramel film; 8 egg yolks; 2 egg whites, unwhipped; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 5 g butter for covering baking paper if needed.
Step 2
Bring the milk and 100 g sugar to a gentle boil in a wide heavy saucepan. Simmer uncovered for a full hour, stirring frequently and scraping the base to prevent scorching or overflowing. If the milk is relatively thin, extend to about 1 hour 15 minutes while watching it carefully. Remove from the heat, stir in vanilla, and cool promptly until lukewarm.
Step 3
Melt the separate 30 g sugar in a small heavy saucepan until amber. Carefully tip into a smooth oval mould of roughly 1 litre and tilt with oven gloves to make a thin film across its bottom. Do not mix any caramel into the custard.
Step 4
Beat the eight yolks and two unwhipped whites just enough to blend, then gradually mix with the cooled reduced milk. Strain and pour into the prepared mould. Stand in a roasting tin with hot water halfway up its outside.
Step 5
Bake at about 150°C for 50–70 minutes, adjusting for the mould and reduced volume, until set with a slight tremble and at least 74°C in the centre. If the top begins to colour, cover loosely with baking paper greased with the 5 g butter. Prevent bath water from splashing into the custard.
Step 6
Cool promptly, refrigerate at 4°C or colder within 2 hours, and chill for at least 3 hours. Loosen the edge carefully, invert onto a platter and serve cold. Keep refrigerated and use within 2 days.
Step 7
For coriander flavour, omit vanilla and lightly crush about 1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds. Add them to the milk at the start of its simmer, then strain out the seeds before combining the cooled milk with the eggs. For coffee flavour, use about 3 g freshly ground roasted coffee beans instead of the coriander or vanilla, simmer in the milk and strain thoroughly. The same milk, egg, caramel-lined mould and baking method apply; these aroma quantities are estimates.
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