Crema Catalana

Name: Crema Catalana
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: Semi-skimmed milk; Egg yolks; Whole eggs; Caster sugar; Cornflour; Lemon zest; Cinnamon stick; Salt

219 kcal a serving, against 276 for the traditional version. That is 57 kcal off, or 21%, with 8.7g of protein. Serves 6. 3 hours (mainly chilling).

What the traditional version is

Crema Catalana is a classic: a soft set custard, thick with egg yolks (and sometimes a whisper of cornflour to help it hold). Full-fat milk simmers with lemon peel, a cinnamon stick and sometimes a bit of orange. Yolks and sugar get whisked until they look indecent, then everything comes together on a low heat until it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Into shallow dishes it goes, then once cold, a hefty spoonful of sugar is sprinkled on top and torched or grilled to a crisp.

What changed, and what each change costs

Half the egg yolks swapped for whole eggs

Yolks are where all the calories and richness hide. Using half whole eggs and half yolks means you get some richness, but bring in more egg white for extra protein and a firmer texture. The taste leans more eggy and less like a luxury pudding.

What it costs you. You'll notice the custard is set more solidly and the spoon doesn't melt straight through. The flavour is less round and creamy, more breakfast egg with a pudding accent. The caramel lid still does most of the distracting.

Whole milk swapped for semi-skimmed milk

Full-fat milk has its charm but also brings in a lot of sly calories. Swapping for semi-skimmed cuts some fat but you still get enough body to avoid watery sadness. I wouldn't push it to skimmed, unless you hate yourself or love disappointment.

What it costs you. You lose a bit of mouthfeel and the finish is cleaner, not creamy. The set is a touch firmer still, and it won't coat your mouth in the same lush way, but if you want the velvet finish, just go and order the original.

Sugar in the custard and topping reduced

The custard base is usually very sweet. By dropping the sugar by a third, you get a still-sweet pudding but you haven't blown your tastebuds out. The topping still gets enough so the crack is real.

What it costs you. This isn't quite the same dessert if you're a sugar hound. The caramel crunch is there, but the custard below is a bit less lush and not quite as 'couldn't eat more than one' sweet.

What goes in it

The ingredients, without the quantities. The weights are what the figures below are computed from, and they are in the book.

Semi-skimmed milk
Egg yolks
Whole eggs
Caster sugar
Cornflour
Lemon zest
Cinnamon stick
Salt

How it starts

Pour the semi-skimmed milk into a saucepan with the strips of lemon zest, cinnamon stick and a pinch of salt.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, whole eggs, 80g of the sugar and the cornflour until it's smooth and looks paler (not fluffy, just well-mixed).
Fish out the lemon zest and cinnamon from the milk, then pour the warm milk into the egg mix slowly, whisking as you go, so you don't get accidental scrambled eggs.

The rest of the method, and every weight, is in Authentic-ish Spanish.

The numbers

Per serving	Traditional	Lightened
Calories	276	219
Protein	7.9g	8.7g
Fat	10.2g	7.2g
Saturated fat	4.7g	3.4g
Carbohydrate	38.8g	30.3g
Protein per 100 kcal	2.9g	4g

Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Spanish prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked. How every number is computed sets out the method.

Allergens. milk, eggs.

The method is in the book

This won't make you believe you're in Barcelona with the sun on your neck and a waiter rolling their eyes at your pronunciation. The original is silkier, richer, and more hypnotic. This version is lower in calories and gives you a real hit of protein, but it's a bit more earnest and you won't confuse it for a luxury dessert. The burnt sugar lid is still all fun and games though, and once you tap your spoon through, you'll get the point.

The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Spanish, along with 57 more. Buy the paperback