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Île flottante
Meringue on custard
Île flottante: poached meringue islands on vanilla custard with caramel
Île flottante, "floating island", is the classic dessert of French bistros and school canteens alike, soft clouds of poached meringue floating on a pool of cold vanilla custard (crème anglaise), drizzled with caramel and sometimes scattered with toasted almonds. It is light, cheap and uses the whole egg. The common mistake is boiling the custard, which scrambles it. Chef's tip: the custard is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and a finger drawn through leaves a clear line, at about 82 °C.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the crème anglaise
- 2 ½ cups whole milk
- 3 ⅛ oz caster sugar
For the islands
- 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar
- 2 cups milkfor poaching
For the caramel
- 2 ⅞ oz sugar
- ⅔ oz toasted flaked almonds (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Bring the 2 ½ cups whole milk and 1 vanilla pod, split (or 1½ tsp extract) to a simmer. Whisk the 6 egg yolks and 3 ⅛ oz caster sugar until pale, pour on the hot milk while whisking and return to the pan.
5 minStep 2: Cook over a low heat, stirring with a spatula in figures of eight, until it coats the spoon and a finger leaves a clear line (180°F). Do not boil. Strain into a cold bowl and chill.
8 minStep 3: Whisk the 4 egg whites to soft peaks, add the 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar gradually and whisk to firm, glossy peaks.
5 minStep 4: Bring the 2 cups milk to a bare simmer. Poach large spoonfuls of meringue for 1 minute each side until set, lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on a clean tea towel.
10 minStep 5: Heat the 2 ⅞ oz sugar in a dry pan, swirling, until it melts to a deep amber.
5 minStep 6: Pour the custard into bowls, float the islands on top, drizzle with the caramel and scatter with the ⅔ oz toasted flaked almonds.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does île flottante take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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