Holiday Eggnog

1. Whisk eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and salt together in heavy 3- or 4-quart saucepan. Stir in milk, 1⁄2 cup at a time, blending well after each addition. Heat slowly over lowest possible heat, stirring constantly, until custard registers 160 degrees, thickens, and coats back of spoon, 25 to 30 minutes. Pour custard through fine-mesh strainer into large bowl; stir in brandy, vanilla and nutmeg. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours or up to 3 days.
2. Just before serving, whip cream in medium bowl to very soft peaks and gently fold into custard mixture until incorporated. Serve in chilled punch bowl or cups, garnishing with nutmeg.

Adding the milk to the eggs in small increments and blending thoroughly after each addition helps ensure a smooth custard. To prevent curdling, do not heat the custard beyond 160 degrees. If it does begin to curdle, remove it from the heat immediately, pour it into a bowl set over a larger bowl of ice water to stop the cooking, and proceed with the recipe. You can omit the brandy to make a nonalcoholic eggnog, but you should also decrease the cream to 1⁄4 cup to keep the right consistency. Increase the cream to 3⁄4 cup and add another 1⁄2 cup brandy for stronger eggnog.