Glossary Term: Crème Anglaise

Crème Anglaise Definition:

Crème Anglaise is a classic French custard sauce made from milk or cream, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla. It is gently cooked until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon while remaining smooth and pourable. Crème Anglaise is commonly served with cakes, pastries, fruit desserts, and other plated sweets. In culinary training and professional kitchens, it is considered a foundational dessert sauce and an important custard-making technique.

Crème Anglaise Key Concepts:

Custard-Based Sauce: The sauce thickens through gently cooked egg yolks rather than starch or flour.
Smooth and Pourable Texture: Properly made Crème Anglaise should be silky, light, and free from lumps or curdling.
Temperature Control Is Essential: The mixture must be heated carefully to avoid scrambling the eggs.
Common Dessert Component: It is widely used as a sauce for pastries, cakes, tarts, and plated desserts.
Classic French Technique: Crème Anglaise is a core preparation taught in pastry and hospitality programs.

What It Does Not Mean

It is not Custard, while related to Custard, Crème Anglaise is thinner and designed as a sauce rather than a set dessert.
It is not Zabaglione, which is whisked and aerated with wine, while Crème Anglaise is a smooth milk-based custard sauce.

Contextual Usage

“The pastry chef served the chocolate tart with vanilla Crème Anglaise for added richness”.
“Students learned to temper the egg yolks carefully when preparing Crème Anglaise”.

Related Terms

Notes for Chefs and Students

Stir constantly during cooking to maintain a smooth consistency.
Use low to moderate heat to prevent curdling.
Straining through a Chinoise improves texture and removes cooked egg particles.
Proper tempering helps the egg yolks blend evenly into the hot liquid.
Crème Anglaise can also serve as a base for other frozen or plated desserts.