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Tocino de cielo
Egg-yolk and syrup custard
Tocino de cielo: Jerez's dense, glossy egg-yolk and syrup custard
Tocino de cielo means 'bacon from heaven', but there is no pork in it at all: the name refers only to its rich, deep-yellow colour. The story told in Jerez de la Frontera is that the sherry bodegas used egg whites to clarify their wine and gave the leftover yolks to the convents, whose nuns turned them into this. It is denser and silkier than flan, with no milk, and a small square goes a long way after Sunday lunch. Chef's tip: strain the yolk mixture twice and skim off every bubble; that is what gives the glassy, pore-free finish.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the caramel
- 2 ⅞ oz sugar
- 2 tbsp water
For the custard
- 9 oz sugar
- ¾ cup water
- 1 strip lemon peelno white pith
- 10 egg yolks
- 1 egg
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What you'll need
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Method
0/7 doneStep 2: Put 9 oz sugar, ¾ cup water and 1 strip lemon peel in a pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 4–5 minutes until you have a syrup that forms a thin thread between finger and thumb (about 225°F). Remove the peel and cool for 10 minutes.
15 minStep 4: Pour the warm syrup into the yolks in a thin stream, stirring gently all the time. A common mistake is adding the syrup boiling hot, which curdles the yolks into specks.
Step 5: Strain the mixture twice through a fine sieve into the caramel-lined tin and skim off any foam. Cover tightly with foil.
Step 6: Stand the tin in a roasting tin and pour in hot water to come halfway up. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until set at the edges with only a faint wobble in the centre, and a knife comes out clean.
40 minStep 7: Cool, then chill for at least 4 hours. Run a knife around the edge, turn out onto a plate so the caramel runs down, and cut into small squares.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tocino de cielo take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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