The great American Christmas drink: a light vanilla and nutmeg custard, gently cooked to 80 °C (175 °F) then served chilled and frothy.
Eggnog is the holiday drink of America and Britain: milk, cream, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and plenty of nutmeg, halfway between a custard sauce and a milkshake. It's served cold, in small glasses, with a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg on top.
Here it is COOKED: the custard is brought to 80 °C (175 °F), the temperature at which the yolks thicken and are safe for everyone, children included. It's the only tricky step, and the recipe gives you the cue to get it right even without a thermometer. Once cooled, a whipped egg white (cooked too) makes it light and frothy.
Good to know · It contains eggs and milk, two major allergens. Cooked to 80 °C (175 °F) and cooled quickly, it suits everyone, including children and pregnant women; keep it chilled and drink it within 2 days.
In the bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar and salt for 2 minutes, until the mixture turns pale and thick and falls from the whisk in a ribbon.
In the saucepan, heat the milk, cream, nutmeg, cinnamon (and the split half vanilla pod, if using) until it just starts to simmer: small bubbles appear around the edge.
Pour a third of the hot milk over the yolks in a thin stream, whisking constantly, then the rest. Pour it all back into the pan.
Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with the spatula and scraping the bottom well, for 5 to 8 minutes. Never let it boil. The custard is done at 80 °C (175 °F): it thickens slightly, the foam disappears and it coats the spatula; when you run a finger across it, the line stays clean.
Take off the heat, add the vanilla extract, then strain straight away into a container set in the bowl of ice. Stir for a few minutes to bring the temperature down, then press plastic wrap onto the surface and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Just before serving, if you want it frothy: heat the egg whites and sugar over a pan of simmering water, whisking, up to 70 °C (160 °F) (the sugar has dissolved and the mix feels hot to the touch), then beat with the mixer until stiff, glossy and cooled. Gently fold into the cold custard.
Whisk the eggnog for a few seconds, pour into small well-chilled glasses and grate a pinch of nutmeg over each. Add a cinnamon stick if you have some.
Check off every step to celebrate.
Eggnog keeps for 2 days in the fridge, well covered, and should never sit at room temperature for more than an hour. With the egg white froth, drink it the same day. It doesn't freeze: it splits as it thaws.
Yes, as long as it's cooked. Yolks brought to 80 °C (175 °F), and whites heated to 70 °C (160 °F) with sugar for the froth, no longer carry the risk of raw eggs. That's why this recipe cooks it, like a custard sauce.
It has lost its foam, thickened slightly and coats the spatula: when you run a finger across the spatula, the line stays clean without the custard running into it. It's the same cue as for custard sauce.
Take it off the heat immediately and pour it into a cold container, then blitz it with a stick blender for a minute: most of the time, it turns smooth again. If it smells of cooked egg, it got too hot, but it's still fine to drink.
Yes, it's even recommended: the cooked custard needs 3 hours in the fridge and it's better the next day. Just add the egg white froth at serving time.
Add this recipe to your meal, then come back for appetizers, a drink, cookies with coffee: Popotam brings them together, with the shopping for your whole table and the timeline up to dessert. Free, no account.
