Cellar Tastings

Many of Spain’s desserts are egg based. Over the centuries, the Spanish monks clarified their wines with eggs and donated the egg yolks (“yemas”) to the local nuns who then used them to make desserts. The entrepreneuring nuns would then sell their desserts to the villagers. Natillas, Cuajada, Flan and Crema Catalan are all egg based Spanish custards. Crema Catalana comes from the Mediterranean region of Catalonia, and you will literally find this delicious dessert on menus everywhere from Barcelona to Tarragona. It is the perfect end to a gourmet dinner, and pairs sublimely with Spain’s dessert wines such as a Moscatel from Alicante, a Pedro Ximenez from Jerez or an old vine Garnacha from Malaga. This recipe was contributed to Cellar Tastings by Alicia Juanpere, owner of Catacurian, the famed Priorat cooking school in Spain’s Catalonia region.

Ingredients

• 8 Egg Yolks
• I Liter of Whole Milk
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 30 grams of Maizena (Cornstarch)
• 1 Zest of Lemon
• 200 Grams of Sugar

Preparation

Dissolve the Maizena in milk. Bring the milk to a boil with the cinnamon stick and lemon zest. In another bowl, mix together the sugar, egg yolks and the Maizena (already dissolved). When the mil is boiling, remove from the heat, storing with the whisk. Return the mixture to the saucepan and place it on low heat. When the “crema” begins to bubble, turn off the heat. Pour the “crema” into the earthenware dishes and let it cool, then refrigerate. Before serving, sprinkle sugar on top of each “crema” and carmelize with a hot iron (or red hot bottom of a pan).

Chef’s Note: Always caramelise the sugar immediately before serving.

Emilio Lustau is considered by many to be simply the best sherry winery in existence. Founded in 1896, the winery was the first to coin the term "Almacenista" (and copyright it) to describe special wines bought in from stockholders. Emilio Lustau describe the concept of Almacenista wines as "An Almacenista is a stockholder who buys sherry or must from the farmers and matures it in his/her own bodegas. Almacenistas did not have a licence from the Consejo Regulador for bottling their own sherries. Traditionally these sherries were sent for inclusion in the large commercial blends but it was Lustau who recognised that these sherries all had strong individual merit." These Almacenista wines are nowadays the most sought after wines in Sherry.

Robert Parker says this about the Emilio Lustau Oloroso, “The outrageous non-vintage Oloroso Almacenista Angel Zamorano is believed to be between 30-40 years of age. It possesses a medium amber colour, crisp acidity, dry, medium bodied flavours of tremendous intensity offering smoke, nuts, molasses, and maple syrup, yet a dry finish. This is decadent as well as luxurious stuff that must be tasted to be believed. Drink this beauty over the next few years.“