Blackberry Crumblewith Custard

Crumble

1. 1

   Toss blackberries, caster sugar, cornflour, and lemon zest and juice together; let rest 15 minutes.

2. 2

   Rub cold cubed butter into plain flour and ground almonds until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea‑sized butter lumps.

3. 3

   Stir in jumbo oats, demerara sugar, light brown sugar, and flaky salt; form into fistfuls, break into nuggets, and freeze 20 minutes.

4. 4

   Preheat oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Place the fruit mixture in a shallow dish no deeper than 4 cm, scatter the crumble loosely to the edges, and sprinkle an extra 25 g demerara sugar on top.

5. 5

   Bake 30 minutes on a hot tray until deep gold and bubbling at the rim; let rest 15 minutes.

Custard

6. 6

   Heat whole milk and double cream with the split vanilla pod to steaming, then cover and infuse for 20 minutes.

7. 7

   Whisk egg yolks with caster sugar, 1 tsp cornflour, and a pinch of salt.

8. 8

   Temper the yolk mixture with a third of the hot cream, then return everything to the pan.

9. 9

   Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 180°F and coats a spoon; strain into a cold jug.