Real Custard Sauce

Serve with steamed and baked puddings, fruit and mince pies or stewed fruit. From The British Food Trust http://www.greatbritishkitchen.co.uk/recipebook/index.php?option=com_rapidrecipe&page=viewrecipe&recipe_id=862&Itemid=28

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 1 cup

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄4 cups  whole milk
• 1  vanilla bean
• 4  egg yolks
• 2  tablespoons caster sugar

Directions

1. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the milk. Place the remaining milk and vanilla pod in a saucepan. Bring almost to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to stand for 15 minutes to allow the vanilla to infuse the milk.
2. Place the egg yolks, sugar and reserved milk in a bowl. Beat until thick and creamy. Remove the vanilla pod from the milk and pour the milk on to the egg mixture. Strain the mixture into a heavy based saucepan and cook, stirring, until the custard thinly coats the back of a spoon and is about the thickness of single cream. Pour into a cold jug. Serve hot or cold. The sauce thickens on cooling.