Floating Islands

Cloud-like poached meringues in a sea of Crème anglaise (custard), topped with crunchy caramel.

Prep Time25

Total Time20

Servings: servings

Separate the eggs into whites and yolks, set the yolks aside for making the custard later.
Whip the egg whites until they start to foam.
Measure out 1 cup of the sugar and slowly begin adding it to the egg whites, one tablespoon at a time, whipping in between additions until it is all incorporated.
Add the cornstarch and a pinch of salt and keep whipping until the meringue reaches stiff peaks. It should be thick and glossy and hold its shape.
Heat the milk and vanilla over medium heat in a deep-edged frying pan or large saucepan. Don't let it boil, you want it to be just before the point of small bubbles forming.
Use two spoons to shape your meringue into whatever shape you like, I just passed the meringue back and forth between the spoons to make smooth edges.
Gently place each meringue shape into the hot milk. Don't overcrowd the pan, the meringues will expand slightly while they are in there. Let them poach for 2 minutes, then flip them over and do 2 minutes on the other side.
Gently remove the poached meringues and place them on a plate with paper towels to soak up the excess liquid. Let them cool here before transferring to the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Strain the milk from poaching the meringues to remove any pieces of meringue, and top it up if needed so you have 2 cups of milk again. Return to the heat in a clean saucepan and begin to warm it again.
Whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar (about ⅓ cup) until they are combined and turn a slightly paler color.
Once the milk feels hot, but not scalding, pour a small amount of it into the egg yolk/sugar mixture and mix it in.
Gradually add the rest of the hot milk, being sure to go slowly so you don't scramble the eggs with the heat.
Once all the milk is incorporated, pour the whole mixture back into the saucepan and return to the heat.
Continue to heat, mixing constantly, until the mixture thickens slightly. When it's ready, you should be able to coat the back of a spoon and draw a line through the custard and have the line hold its shape.
Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic touches the top of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool and eventually transfer to the fridge until ready to serve.

When you are ready to serve, spoon some of the chilled custard into your bowls or serving dishes.
Gently place one or two of the poached meringues on top of the custard, it should just float on top. It's best to prepare these before you make the caramel as you will need to work quickly once the caramel is ready.
Heat the sugar in a saucepan with a splash of water, over medium-high heat. Let it come to a boil.
Once the sugar is boiling, watch it closely, it will look clear and then it will start to gain some color, first a little yellow and then amber.
Once it reaches a deep amber color, remove it from the heat and immediately use a spoon to drizzle the caramel in circles over the floating islands. Work quickly as the caramel hardens very fast.

You need to be very careful when moving the poached meringues as they are super fragile.