1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the dish
Instructions
1. Soak the pearl tapioca in enough cold water to cover for 1 hour. Drain thoroughly.
2. Scald the milk (a technique in which milk is heated to just below a simmer, approximately 180°F / 82°C, until small bubbles appear around the edges of the pan — do not boil). Combine the drained tapioca with the scalded milk in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water.
3. Cook the tapioca-milk mixture in the double boiler for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tapioca pearls are nearly fully translucent with only a faint white dot remaining at their centers.
4. In a mixing bowl, beat the 3 eggs until just combined — yolks and whites fully blended but not frothy. Stir in the sugar and salt.
5. Temper the egg mixture (a technique in which a small amount of hot liquid is added gradually to eggs to raise their temperature without scrambling them): ladle the hot tapioca-milk mixture into the egg mixture a spoonful at a time, whisking constantly, until approximately half of the hot mixture has been incorporated. Then pour the warmed egg mixture back into the remaining hot mixture in the double boiler, stirring to combine.
6. Heat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Butter a 1.5-quart (1.4 L) pudding dish or baking dish, approximately 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter and 2 inches (5 cm) deep.
7. Pour the combined custard mixture into the prepared dish. Dot the top with the 1 tablespoon (14 g) of butter.
8. Bake at 300°F (150°C) for 30–40 minutes, until the custard is set around the edges but retains a slight wobble at the center when gently shaken, a thin knife inserted 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the edge comes out clean, and the internal temperature reads approximately 170–175°F (77–79°C). The surface should be lightly golden.
9. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving warm.
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