anglaise

Anglaise is the feminine form of the French adjective anglais, meaning English. It functions as both an adjective and a noun in French, describing things of English origin or in the English style, and agreeing in gender with the noun it modifies. As a noun, Anglaise can refer to a woman from England; the masculine equivalent is Anglais.

In culinary usage, the term appears in two related forms. Crème anglaise, or English cream, is a classic vanilla custard sauce made from milk or cream, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla. It is a pourable dessert sauce used to accompany desserts or as a base for ice cream and other preparations. The phrase sauce anglaise is sometimes used to denote a similar vanilla custard sauce, though crème anglaise is the more common name. Additionally, the expression à l’anglaise indicates that a dish is prepared in the English manner—historically used by French cooks to describe dishes styled after English cuisine, or prepared with methods associated with English tastes.

Linguistically, Anglaise also functions as a demonym in French, referring to a woman of English nationality. The related forms Anglais (masculine) and Anglaises (plural) are used for both genders in standard contexts, while Anglaise as a standalone noun is less common but encountered in literature and dialogue.

See also: Anglais, langue anglaise, crème anglaise.