Egg Custard

I was reading Ang’s blog, over at Tracing Rainbows, and she pointed to a blog of one of her friends. It was about food (always my favourite subject!) so I thought I’d pop over to have a look. One of the posts was about Egg Custard, and that brought memories flooding back…

When my nana came to live in the granny flat next door to us (converted from the surgery that my dad had before he moved to a new health centre) I would go to the shops on a Saturday morning for her and my mum. One of the treats she would sometimes have was a custard tart from Sayers, the bakers. Not a big one, but an individual.

Sprinkled with a pinch of nutmeg, this would be a Saturday evening favourite for Nana.

But she also used to make egg custard; without the pastry, and in a well used, slightly browned Pyrex dish, she’d make a bowl of it, if she had milk or eggs to use up. Often it would be eaten with stewed apple.

In secondary school, I had three years of Domestic Science – sewing and cookery skills. I wasn’t a brilliant student, enthusiastic but more than a little slapdash. Mrs Wilkinson, the DS teacher, extolled the virtues of healthy eating, and well balanced meals – even though I can only remember making scones and cakes in the lessons! In my third year, the year before we chose our options for O Level (that dates me!) we had our Domestic Science exam. One of the questions was: you are in a caravan with two gas rings and a grill. What well balanced meal can you devise? I was determined to do well,. I can’t remember what my first course was, but I was very pleased that I remembered the recipe for egg custard, so wrote the recipe for stewed apple and egg custard….It was nearing the end of the exam as I scribbled down, “Put the egg custard in the oven for…”

Oh bleepety-bleep! (I didn’t know any bad words then) (Yeah, right…) There’s no oven!!!

“Two minutes to go, girls…”

In desperation, I wrote, “Put the egg custard under the grill until it is set…”

Mrs Wilkinson’s comment? “A valiant effort, FatDormouse, but I fear you would be waiting a long time.”

I never was, am not now, nor ever shall be a Domestic Goddess.