bain marie

[tazz]

whats a bain marie? n what do u use it 4?

[whiskeysheri]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bain-marie

:))

[tazz]

thanx whisky, have u got one? r they good ? i want to make custard, but they said to do it in a bain marie. not sure if i can do it on cooker

[Jugglering]

It is simply a container (No 1) full of (usually) water that another container (No 2 - say a saucepan) resides in... in order to keep contents of container No 2 hot without drying out too much. It is also great for gently melting foodstuffs like chocolate etc that can separate out if they are melted too harshly. I use a bain marie for making a chocolate custard in the oven - the eggs and chocolate are mixed together, poured into a dish and gently baked in the oven (but in a bain marie of water) until set. Lots of lovely moisture .....

[tazz]

so u can use them on the hob and in the main oven?

[Jugglering]

Yes !

On the hob - it can be simply one saucepan inside another...

In the oven - half fill a very large pyrex dish with water and then plonk another pyrex dish with custard ingredients inside the larger dish.... just ensure that the water level is not ABOVE the custard dish and doesn't splash into it.

[tazz]

so is worth buying a prop bain marie then. im trying to widen things i eat cos i dont enjoy food

[Jugglering]

Awww, sorry to read that you don't enjoy food - have you lost your sense of smell maybe ? You don't need to spend a load of dosh on a *proper* bain marie... as they can be easily made up from normal kitchen utensils (two saucepans, two pyrex dishes etc).

[tazz]

i aint got alot of dishes trying to build kitchen things up. no i never had a big appitite but im fed up with clothes not fitting prop so tring to gain wejght. b nice to b 7 stone atleast. thanx so much 4 ur help. if u got a spare min can u tell me how to do the custaed in the oven n recipe. sorry to ask but sounds yummy.x

[Jugglering]

Hehe, no problem... here's the chocolate custard recipe (adapted from an Anna Thomas recipe in *The Vegetarian Epicure*)

4 large eggs
� tsp salt
� cup sugar (6 oz)
1 tsp vanilla extract
� tsp almond extract
� pint milk
8 fl oz single cream
3� oz unsweetened chocolate
butter

Beat the eggs with the salt, half the sugar, the vanilla and the almond extract. Heat together the milk, cream, chocolate and the remaining sugar until the chocolate has completely melted. Stir with a whisk to blend.

Combine the two mixtures and pour into a well-buttered pyrex baking dish. Place the dish in another pyrex dish half full of hot water and bake at 325 deg F, Gas Mark 3 for 1 hour: a knife inserted in the centre should come out clean.

Cool in the baking dish, then unmould and chill in the fridge. Serve with whipped cream.

[tazz]

ill try that thanx very much thats great

[foodjunkie]

Hi Tazz
A bain marie is a double saucepan. Most of us dont have them these days - use a bowl suspended over a saucepan of boiling water but be careful not to let the bowl actually touch the water - its the steam that does the business. They can be used for making custards, melting chocolate, butter etc.

[tazz]

thanx very much foodjunkie thats a great help.x