Berries & Cream Recipe

Prepare berries

Rinse all berries gently under cool running water and drain in a colander. Pat dry with paper towels. Hull and quarter the strawberries so their pieces are roughly the same size as the other berries.

Macerate (optional)

In a medium bowl combine the prepared berries with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice. Toss gently to coat and let sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes to release juices and soften. If you prefer fresher, less-sweet fruit, skip the sugar and lemon and proceed without macerating.

Garnish prep

Pick and lightly bruise a few mint leaves to release aroma for garnish. Keep berries at room temperature if serving immediately or refrigerate up to 2 hours if making ahead; do not macerate longer than 2 hours or they will become too soft.

Flavor the dairy

Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into a small saucepan. Add the pod to the pan as well. Pour in 1 cup whole milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream. Warm the mixture over medium heat until it just begins to steam and tiny bubbles form at the edges (do not boil). Remove from heat and let steep 10 minutes to infuse vanilla.

Whisk yolks and sugar

While the milk is steeping, place 4 large egg yolks and 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened, about 1–2 minutes.

Temper the eggs

Remove the vanilla pod from the warm milk. Slowly pour about 1/3 of the warm milk into the yolk-sugar mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Continue by slowly adding another 1/3 while whisking, then pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the remaining milk in the saucepan, whisking to combine.

Cook the custard

Cook the mixture over low to medium-low heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula and scraping the bottom of the pan. Cook until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon and registers 170–175°F (77–80°C) if using an instant-read thermometer, about 5–8 minutes. Do not let it boil or the eggs will curdle.

Finish and cool

Once thickened, remove from heat and immediately strain the crème anglaise through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any solids and the vanilla pod remnants. Stir in a pinch of fine sea salt. If using vanilla extract instead of a bean, stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract now. Let cool slightly for 10 minutes, then cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (can be made up to 2 days ahead).

Spoon the berries into individual serving bowls or glasses (about 1 cup total berries per serving). If macerated, include some of the released juices for extra flavor.

Ladle or spoon about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of chilled crème anglaise over the berries per serving (adjust to taste).

Garnish each serving with a small sprig of mint and an extra few whole berries if desired. Serve immediately. Leftover crème anglaise will keep covered in the refrigerator for 48 hours; refrigerated assembled bowls are best eaten within a few hours to avoid soggy berries.