Floating Island
This popular dessert consists of a meringue puff, floating in a sea of vanilla sauce. Gerard Crozier poaches his “islands” in vanilla-flavored milk, then uses the same milk mixture for the sauce. He drizzles the finished floating islands with caramel.
Ingredients
- Caramel
- Sugar - 1/2 cup
- Water - 1/2 cup
- Floating Islands
- Egg Whites - 4
- Sugar - 1/2 cup
- Milk - 2 cups
- Vanilla - 1/8 teaspoon
- Sauce
- Egg Yolks - 4
- Sugar - 1/2 cup
- Heated milk from poaching (above)
Instructions
To make the caramel: Put the sugar and water in a saucepan and swirl to dissolve. Cook over medium heat until the mixture turns to a golden syrup. Remove and cool to room temperature.
To make the floating islands: Put the egg whites in a mixing bowl and beat slowly. As they thicken, sprinkle in 1/4 cup of the sugar and increase the speed. Beat until they stand in stiff peaks.
In a large saucepan, scald the milk and add the remaining 1/4 cup of the sugar and the vanilla. Divide the egg whites into four or six large spoonfuls or puffs. A few at a time, depending on the size of the pan, drop the egg white puffs into the milk and poach for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once. Remove and place on a serving platter; set aside.
To make the sauce: Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until the mixture is smooth and the sugar is dissolved in the egg yolks. Whisking constantly, drizzle in the poaching milk. Set aside to cool; strain through a fine-meshed sieve.
To serve: Warm the caramel over hot water until fluid enough to pour. Pool the sauce on each serving plate. Place an egg puff — now an “island” — in the sauce on each plate. Drizzle with caramel.
