floating island (oeufs a la neige)

Ingredients

• Servings: 5
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup white sugar, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Recipe

Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 25 mins Ready Time: 1 hr 50 mins


• separate two of the eggs. in top of double boiler, combine 1 whole egg and 2 yolks with 1/4 cup sugar and the salt, whisking until smooth. whisk in the milk and cook over simmering water, stirring constantly with a spatula or wooden spoon. when the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, remove it from the heat. (do not boil. if custard should start to curdle, remove from heat and beat vigorously until smooth.) pour the custard through a strainer into a bowl and stir in the vanilla extract. cool and refrigerate.
• in a heat-proof bowl, lightly whisk the 2 egg whites with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, just enough to dissolve the sugar. place the bowl on top of a pot of simmering water and stir constantly until the temperature of the whites reaches 145 degrees f (63 c) or hotter. immediately remove the bowl from the heat, and use an electric mixer to beat the warm egg whites until they form stiff, glossy peaks.
• pour the chilled custard into a serving dish. drop the meringue by heaping tablespoons the custard to make islands. chill before serving.