how to prepare the "crème patissière"

Ingredients :

* 30 ouarka layers (approximately) * 250 g (9 oz) of almonds * 1 teaglassful of caster sugar * oil for frying

Ingredients for the custard:

* 4 egg yolks * 2 soupspoonfuls of flour * 5 soupspoonfuls of sugar

* 1 1/2 litre (3 pts) of milk * 1 sachet of vanilla-flavoured sugar

Beat the egg whites until stiff. Bring the milk to the boil, and flavour with vanilla.Quickly cook spoonfuls of egg white in the boiling milk, then remove them from the milk. Put on one side. Beat the yolks with the sugar until the mixture whitens. Add the flour and mix with the boiling milk, stirring gently all the time, away from the heat.

Put back on a low heat and cook for a few minutes more, stirring gently. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. This cream should be thin, almost runny. If it thickens when cold add a little cold milk. 30 minutes before serving, put the ouarka layers, already fried, in a very slow oven to sweat out the oil for 15 minutes. Peel the almonds and fry in oil.

Pound coarsely and mix with a teaglassful of sugar. Then proceed as for bastela with milk. Put the cooked egg whites on top and sprinkle with a little caramellized sugar. Serve at once.