Javier is a Basque born, trained chef and hospitality professional, owner of Basco Fine Foods, a Spanish food and drink importer based in Yorkshire. He regularly runs client food and drink events around the country and he is a course tutor at Hartingtons of Bakewell cookery school. Javier’s passion lies on bringing quality Spanish ingredients and recipes to as many people as possible.
Twitter: @bascofinefoods
Instagram: @mrbasco
If you think crema catalana is a cheap copy of a crème brûlée, think again. The first known recipe for crema catalana (Catalan cream) or crema cremada (burnt cream) appears in a Catalan cookbook around the 14th century, that is three centuries before recipes for the French crème brûlée started to appear. The recipe included a custard cream, over which sugar was poured and subsequently burnt with a hot iron rod, creating the characteristic burnt crust. There are also some clear differences between a crema catalana and a crème brûlée; the French tend to use vanilla flavoured cream, while the Catalan do so with milk, cinnamon and lemon and orange zest.