I'm from DC. I've heard the term crème Anglaise, but not pouring custard. I don't really know what they are, though. Lol.

The notion that serving something with custard is putting on airs is making me chuckle.

It's a cheap alternative to cream. Made with a powder that comes from a tin.

I’ve never heard “pouring custard” before - but reading Hax and a few responses here helped me understand. Pouring is an adjective, not a verb. “Pouring custard” is a type of topping like “hard sauce” or “butterscotch” or “fruit compote”.

I’d argue that anyone who routinely serves dishes with a separate topping like crème Anglaise is putting on airs. However, if you were served pouring custard at my home I would also call it Crème Anglaise because that’s either what the package from Whole Foods called it or the name of the NYT recipe I used.

Anonymous wrote:Never heard the phrase "pouring custard" ever in my life. Heard "creme anglais" many, many times. He's just an idiot.

I have never heard of either! (and think I am decently well travelled / eat out with regularity).

Anonymous wrote:I think I’ve heard it in the South? My in-laws drink custard instead of eggnog during the holidays. They sell bottles of drinkable custard in the stores there.

They sell it here too. I get it every year for Christmas from Whole Foods.

South Africa

Anonymous wrote:I have *only* ever heard or used the term 'crème Anglaise.'

Same. And I grew up in small town Midwest.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have *only* ever heard or used the term 'crème Anglaise.'

+1
And I grew up in an unpretentious Midwest suburb. Thanks to the Martha Stewart show, I guess.

Ditto and all of the baking and cooking shows I watch call it crème anglaise.

Anonymous wrote:I think I’ve heard it in the South? My in-laws drink custard instead of eggnog during the holidays. They sell bottles of drinkable custard in the stores there.

+1. My family calls it “boiled custard”, but I’ve also heard it called “drinking custard.”

I think I’ve heard it in the South? My in-laws drink custard instead of eggnog during the holidays. They sell bottles of drinkable custard in the stores there.

I’m from DC. I’ve heard Crème Anglaise, custard, custard sauce, and pouring custard. I would say if that’s what a recipe called it. “Custard” for set custard, and “custard sauce” . I’d only say “pouring custard” if something was unclear.

- “Did you make custard for the bread pudding?”
- “Do you mean custard? Or custard sauce — like pouring custard?”

Anonymous wrote:I am apparently very uneducated; I've never heard of either.

same here

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have *only* ever heard or used the term 'crème Anglaise.'

+1
And I grew up in an unpretentious Midwest suburb. Thanks to the Martha Stewart show, I guess.

Same.

I think I got it from Barefoot Contessa who recommended just letting vanilla ice cream melt and pour it over a dessert as custard, still calling it crème Anglaise, a fancy name for a pretty low brow sauce.

Would have called it creme anglaise before. Now that I've watched Great British Bake Off, I know people also call it pouring custard.

Anonymous wrote:I lived in Scotland and we called it custard.

Agree (also Scottish).

Custard -- warm, runny, served as a sauce over fruit or steamed pudding.

Custard can also be cold, thick and pudding-like, and served as a layer in a trifle or with caramel sauce on top. If I needed to distinguish the two, I'd go with custard vs set custard. I can easily interpret what "pouring custard" is supposed to mean, but would not use the term.

In my experience, these are not common terms in the US.