CUSTARD with RHUBARB SAUCE

CUSTARD
2 cups whole milk (you can also use half & half and cream but honestly, I find them too rich)
3 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
(Freshly grated nutmeg, if you're only doing the custard)

In a medium pot, scald the milk on MEDIUM heat (or a bit lower), stirring often so the bottom doesn't burn. (Scald? Doesn't that mean to burn? Not in this context, no. It means to cook the milk until just before the boiling point. Watch for bubbles around the edges, that's the sign that the milk is scalded.) Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar til smooth. A quarter cup at a time, whisk the hot liquid into the eggs, stirring all the while. (I've done this so often I now just pour it in slowly, whisking the whole while. This also takes the milk off the heat, which is a good idea, too.) Return the mixture to the pot and cook on MEDIUM (or a bit lower) until the mixture thickens, stirring the entire time. (It will take milk longer to thicken than half & half or cream. You can tell when custard is "done" when you can scrape a finger along a metal spoon coated with the mixture and the line stays clean.) Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla. Transfer to individual ramekins or a serving bowl and chill til ready to serve.

This makes two cups. If you need more, make multiple recipes but don't double -- there's something about the relative depth in the pot that's important, as I recall.

RHUBARB SAUCE
4 cups fresh rhubarb, trimmed and cut into half-inch pieces
Splash water
1/3 cup sugar (or more to taste)

Add the rhubarb and a splash of water to a medium pot, stir in sugar and cook on MEDIUM til rhubarb is soft but still shows the chunks. That's all it takes!!