Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks with the sugar to lighten them. Chop the chocolate and place it in a separate large bowl. Place a strainer over the bowl with the chocolate.
When the milk is very hot (almost boiling), take it off the heat and pour it over the whisked eggs and whisk to temper the eggs. Transfer back to the saucepan and heat on medium–low, whisking constantly.
When the mixture has thickened and reaches a temperature of about 80–83ºC (175–180ºF), take it off the stove and immediately pour through the strainer.
Let the mixture sit for 2 minutes, then stir slowly to melt the chocolate and form an evenly mixed chocolate custard. Be sure to scrape the bottom! You may want to use a hand blender to smooth it out but this might result in air bubbles.
Divide mixture between 6 glasses or jars. Place in the fridge and let chill for 4 hours or overnight.
Notes
For the milk chocolate, I used Cacao Barry Alunga 41% milk chocolate.
Tricks for checking if your crème anglaise is done cooking
it will coat the back of a wooden spoon
the temperature will be around 83 °C
the foam that may have formed on the surface initially will have disappeared
when you stir the mixture and lift your spoon out, the custard sauce will almost immediately stop moving.
Flavour options:
Spices, herbs, or tea—infuse the cream/milk mixture with tea or other herbs and spices (like we did for the Earl Grey hot chocolate or the Earl Grey chocolate truffles)
Vanilla—enhance the chocolate with a little vanilla extract or infuse the crème anglaise with a vanilla bean
Booze—flavour the custard with a little alcohol after you take it off the stove, like Kahlùa, Grand Marnier, or Amaretto—pick one that pairs well with the chocolate you chose
Orange—add the zest of an orange to the milk and cream to infuse the crème anglaise with orange flavour and this dessert will taste like a Chocolate Orange
Dairy-free options—I have made dark chocolate pots de crème with coconut milk so you can use your favourite non-dairy milk and cream substitutes, replacing one for the other in this recipe and it will work.
You can serve pots de crème plain or garnish with crème chantilly or toasted marshmallows. You can also serve them with cookies or sprinkle them with crumbled graham cracker crumb crust.