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Sericaia
Sericaia: Elvas' cinnamon-dusted soufflé custard, baked until it cracks, with plums in syrup
PortugueseSericaia is the pride of Elvas, on the Spanish border, and of Alentejo convent baking: a light custard of eggs, milk and sugar lifted with beaten whites, spooned into a clay dish, dusted with cinnamon and baked until it puffs and splits into deep cracks. It is always served with Elvas plums in syrup, whose sharpness cuts the sweetness; any good plums poached in syrup will do. It is a Sunday and festive dessert across the region. A common mistake is spreading the mixture smooth: drop it in large spoonfuls so it bakes into the craggy, cracked top that defines it. Chef's tip: cook the yolk custard until really thick before folding in the whites; a thin custard collapses in the oven.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the sericaia
For the plums
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Make the plums ahead: boil 5 ½ oz sugar and 1 ¼ cups water for 3 minutes, add 1 ⅛ lb plums and simmer very gently for 8–10 minutes until tender but whole. Cool in the syrup.
15 minStep 2: Heat 2 cups whole milk with 1 strip lemon zest and 1 cinnamon stick until steaming, then leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Remove the zest and stick.
10 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 425°F (400°F fan), with a shelf in the middle. Have ready a 26 cm round ovenproof dish, ideally clay; don't grease it.
Step 4: Beat the yolks from 6 eggs with 7 oz caster sugar for 5 minutes until pale and thick. Beat in 2 ⅛ oz plain flour, then slowly whisk in the warm milk.
5 minStep 5: Pour back into the pan and cook over a low heat, stirring all the time, for 5–7 minutes until thick enough to coat the spoon heavily and hold a trail. Cool for 10 minutes.
7 minStep 6: Whisk the egg whites with 1 pinch salt to firm peaks, then fold them gently into the custard in three goes, keeping as much air as possible.
Step 7: Drop large spoonfuls into the dish, overlapping them roughly; don't smooth the top. Sprinkle generously with 2 tsp ground cinnamon.
Step 8: Bake for 25–30 minutes, until puffed, deep golden and cracked all over, and only just set in the centre when you shake the dish gently.
28 minStep 9: Let it settle for 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, with the plums and a spoonful of their syrup.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 400 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 70 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sericaia take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of cinnamon stick?
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon per stick.
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