Fruit Custard

This is a one-line variation that sends you back to the Banana Custard entry, so the real work is in the base custard. Almost everything that can go wrong here is a matter of which fruit you put into it and when.

• What the base isA soft boiled custard of the period runs roughly 2 cups milk, 3 to 4 egg yolks (or 2 whole eggs), and 1/4 cup sugar with a pinch of salt, cooked over hot water and poured over sliced fruit. Check the Banana Custard entry in this book for the exact proportions rather than assuming.
• The hinge: stop at coating consistencyCook the custard over simmering, not boiling, water and pull it at 170-180F, when it coats the back of a spoon and a drawn finger leaves a clean track. Past about 185F the eggs curdle and no amount of stirring brings it back.
• Fruits that will not setFresh pineapple, kiwi, papaya and figs carry proteases that break down egg protein and can thin an already-cooked custard as it stands. Use canned or briefly cooked fruit for these, which deactivates the enzyme.
• Acid and milkStrawberries, raspberries, citrus and rhubarb can curdle a warm custard. Chill the custard fully, then fold or layer the fruit in cold, and serve the same day.
• Browning fruitBananas, apples, peaches and pears darken on cut surfaces. A squeeze of lemon over the slices before the custard goes on keeps them presentable, and the custard itself seals off the air.
• Vessels and servingNeither this line nor its parent specifies a dish; individual custard cups or a shallow glass dish suit it. A custard built on about 2 cups of milk would give four to six servings.
• Holding itAn egg custard with raw fresh fruit in it does not keep. Refrigerate and eat within a day; weeping and fruit juice bleeding into the custard start almost immediately.