French Ile Flottante
French Ile Flottante
- Preparation time 40 mins
- Serves 4 people
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Literally translated as 'floating islands', this dessert is a delicious meringue floating within custard and is popular throughout France.
Ingredients
CRÈME ANGLAISE
4 egg yolks
500 ml milk
100 ml cream
½ vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
60 g caster sugar
MERINGUE
4 egg whites
a pinch salt
¼ tsp white vinegar
80 g caster sugar
2 tbs flaked almonds, to serve
Method
- For the Crème Anglaise, place the egg yolks and sugar into a heatproof mixing bowl and whisk until creamy. Place the milk, cream and scraped vanilla seeds in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, watching carefully that it doesn’t boil over. Whisk the milk mixture into the eggs quickly and then return to the saucepan over low heat and heat, stirring constantly until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat and chill.
- Place the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer that has been cleaned and wiped out with vinegar. Add the salt and vinegar and whisk to soft peaks. Slowly add the sugar a little at a time and continue whisking until the meringue is shiny and firm.
- Bring a large saucepan of water to a simmer and add large spoonfuls of the meringue to the water. Simmer for 2 minutes on each side and then remove with a slotted spoon. Repeat for the remaining meringue.
- Serve the poached meringues in a pool of chilled crème anglaise, and scatter with slivered almonds.