Madártej (Hungarian Bird's Milk Custard)
A light, airy Hungarian dessert of vanilla custard topped with fluffy meringue clouds. Elegant yet simple—the custard cooks on the stovetop while you whip the egg whites, then gently poaches them in milk.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 198
- Protein
- 7g
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole milk
- 4 count egg yolks
- 5 tablespoons sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 count egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- 1
Pour 3 cups of milk into a medium saucepan and place it over medium heat until small bubbles form around the edge and steam rises from the surface, about 5–7 minutes.
- 2
While the milk heats, crack the 4 egg yolks into a medium bowl and whisk together with 3 tablespoons of sugar until the mixture looks pale and thick, about 2 minutes of continuous whisking.
- 3
Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly so the eggs cook gently and do not scramble; keep whisking until fully combined.
- 4
Pour the custard mixture back into the saucepan and place over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until it thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon, about 3–4 minutes.
- 5
Remove the pan from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract until the custard smells fragrant and is uniform.
- 6
Pour the custard into a shallow serving dish or divide evenly among four shallow bowls, then set aside while you make the meringue.
- 7
In a clean bowl, add the 4 egg whites and 0.25 teaspoon of salt, then whisk with an electric mixer or by hand until stiff peaks form—when you lift the whisk, the whites should hold a sharp point, about 3–4 minutes with a mixer.
- 8
Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar over the egg whites and whisk gently for 30 seconds until the sugar dissolves and the mixture looks glossy.
- 9
Pour the remaining 1 cup of milk into a large, shallow saucepan and heat over medium until it steams gently—do not let it boil; bubbles should rise slowly from the bottom.
- 10
Using two spoons or an ice cream scoop, gently scoop a large dollop of meringue (about the size of a golf ball) and slide it into the simmering milk; repeat until all the meringue is in the pan.
- 11
Let the meringue clouds cook undisturbed for 2 minutes until they are set and hold their shape, then gently flip each one over with a slotted spoon and cook for another 1–2 minutes on the other side.
- 12
Using a slotted spoon, carefully lift each meringue cloud out of the milk and place it on top of the custard in each bowl or serving dish.
- 13
Serve the madártej immediately while the custard is still warm and the meringue clouds are fresh, spooning a little warm custard around each cloud.
Tools you’ll need
- medium saucepan
- medium mixing bowl
- whisk or fork
- wooden spoon
- large, shallow saucepan
- electric mixer or whisk (hand)
- two spoons or ice cream scoop
- slotted spoon
- shallow serving dish or four shallow bowls
Cook smarter
Get matched recipes for what’s in your fridge
CookSnap is a free iOS app that finds real recipes from the ingredients you already have. No more grocery-list aspirations.
