Cooks' note:
•Sauce may be chilled, covered with plastic wrap, up to 3 days.
Recipe information
Total Time
2 1/2 hr
Yield
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1 (4- by 1-inch) strip fresh orange zest
3 large egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Preparation
Step 1
Bring milk with zest to a simmer in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 20 minutes.
Step 2
Whisk together yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Whisk in milk with zest, then transfer mixture to cleaned saucepan.
Step 3
Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until custard thickens enough to coat back of a wooden spoon (170°F on an instant-read thermometer). Immediately pour through a fine sieve into a bowl. Discard zest and stir in vanilla. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Chill custard, its surface covered with wax paper (to prevent a skin from forming), until cold, at least 1 hour.
