- Wed – Sun · from 5 pm · kitchen until 9:30 pm
GOOD TO KNOW
Silky vanilla cream under a crisp caramelised sugar crust: crema catalana is one of Spain’s best-known desserts – and one of Europe’s oldest. Here is the story behind the Catalan speciality and how it differs from crème brûlée. A dessert with more than 600 years of history, and to this day the classic finish to a Spanish meal.
Crema catalana comes from Catalonia and ranks among Europe’s oldest recorded sweet dishes: the first written mentions appear in Catalan cookbooks of the 14th century. At home it is also called “crema cremada”, burnt cream. The base is beautifully simple: milk, egg yolk and sugar, gently thickened on the stove. Citrus zest and cinnamon give the cream its character.
Traditionally, crema catalana is served on 19 March, Saint Joseph’s Day (Sant Josep), which doubles as Father’s Day in Spain. Today, of course, it is enjoyed all year round, in Catalonia and in tapas restaurants worldwide. It is classically served cold, while the sugar crust is caramelised fresh and still warm. That contrast of cool cream and crackling caramel is what makes it special. It pairs beautifully with a glass of sweet wine or Cava.
Crema catalana is thickened on the stove on a milk base and classically flavoured with citrus zest and cinnamon. French crème brûlée is based on cream, baked in a water bath and flavoured with vanilla – two related but distinctly different desserts.
Just a few ingredients: milk, egg yolk, sugar and a little starch, flavoured with cinnamon and citrus zest. On top sits a thin layer of sugar that is caramelised just before serving.
Yes, the principle is a custard: whisk egg yolk with starch, bring milk to the boil with a cinnamon stick, sugar and citrus zest, combine and let it thicken. The crust, however, takes practice and ideally a kitchen torch.
The classic recipe contains no wheat flour and is thickened with starch, usually cornflour. If you are sensitive, it is still worth asking briefly how a particular kitchen prepares it.
Crema catalana is on our menu as a dessert – silky vanilla cream with a freshly caramelised sugar crust. The perfect finish to a tapas evening in Rosengarten-Klecken.
Spanish tapas & wines in Rosengarten-Klecken – right by the station, with parking at the door.
© Adams Tapas & Wine Lounge · All rights reserved
