Crème Anglaise (French for "English cream") is a light pouring custard used as a dessert sauce. It is a mix of sugar, egg yolks and hot milk.
The sauce is made by whipping egg yolks and sugar together until the yolk is almost white; adding hot milk little by little; and cooking in a double boiler. The sauce is stirred with a spoon until it coats the back of a spoon, and used immediately. If the sauce reaches too high a temperature, it will curdle.
Larousse Gastronomique calls it 'crème à l'anglaise' and 'crème française'.