Six Real Custards and the One You Know

To almost anybody brought up in Britain since the middle of the 20th Century, custard is an essential element of most desserts. Ask the average British person to describe custard and you will be told it is a thickish yellow sauce that is poured over apple pie, spotted dick or rhubarb crumble.

The "custard" that most of us Brits were brought up with is actually not true custard at all. The blame lies with a Mr Alfred Bird - a household name in Britain. He is responsible for the misapprehension with which most of us have lived for years. Let me explain.

But first, what is "custard" really? True custard is milk thickened with egg yolk and usually sweetened. In Britain it is called "Egg Custard". Custard can be made by heating egg yolk and milk in a saucepan.

There are many variations on basic custard. If starch is added to the mix the resulting custard becomes "Blancmange". Blancmange is a form of custard that has been set in a mould; it is a semi-rigid pudding. Flavourings are often added to Blancmange to make chocolate, strawberry and other varieties.

A similar starch thickened custard forms the filling of the popular "Vanilla Slice" (aka "Custard Slice"). It comprises a thick slice of custard between two layers of very flaky pastry. The top is covered in fondant.

Baked custard forms the filling of the equally popular "Custard Tarts". Small pastry tart shells are filled with baked custard and sprinkled with nutmeg.

Posh Custard
If you have ever dined out at a fine food restaurant, you may have seen other custard variants on the dessert menu. Two of the most popular are "Creme Caramel" and "Creme Brulee". Creme Caramel is a baked custard served with a thin sauce of caramelized sugar. Creme Brulee is a baked custard onto which sugar has been melted, by hand, with a very hot naked flame.

Savoury Custard
Custard does not have to a dessert dish. One savoury variant is well-known to most people. It is called "Quiche". A Quiche is a large tart made from unsweetened baked custard into which vegetables or herbs have been added.

Common Custard
So, let's get back to the very famous and popular Mr Bird again. It seems that Mr Bird's wife was allergic to eggs so, early in the 19th Century, he invented a form of "custard" that did not require any egg at all in it's preparation. Bird's Custard is as familiar to the average British person as the nose on his face. But, it is not really a true custard at all. Bird's custard is essentially vanilla-flavoured corn starch. When Bird's Custard Powder is boiled with milk the result is the thick yellow sauce that is familiar to so many British people.

Bird's custard is also available in an "instant" version. Bird's Instant Custard Powder contains powdered milk and sugar and can be prepared by simply mixing it with boiling water.

The nutritional value of custards is questionable. Egg yolk is a rich source of cholesterol while corn starch and sugar are carbohydrates. If you enjoy custard in moderation you can rely on my grandmother's nutritional guideline of "a little of what you fancy does you good".