Description
Floating Island is a classic French dessert featuring airy poached meringue ‘islands’ delicately floating on a rich, creamy vanilla custard sauce. The meringue is gently cooked in simmering milk, creating a light and fluffy texture that perfectly complements the smooth, velvety custard beneath.
Ingredients
Meringue
- 90 g egg whites (approx. whites of 3 eggs)
- 30 g granulated sugar
- 750 g whole milk (3% fat) for poaching
Custard
- 500 g whole milk (3% fat)
- 80 g granulated sugar
- 120 g egg yolks (approx. yolks of 6 eggs)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Instructions
- Whip the meringue: Using an electric hand mixer, whip the egg whites with 30 g of granulated sugar gradually added until the meringue is shiny and forms early stiff peaks.
- Prepare for poaching: Transfer the meringue into a piping bag for easy shaping.
- Heat the milk: In a large saucepan, heat 750 g of whole milk over low to medium heat until it begins to simmer gently, not boiling.
- Poach the meringue: Pipe meringue into ladle-sized balls and gently release them into the simmering milk. Alternatively, spoon the meringue into the milk. Cook for about 2 minutes per side on low heat until puffed and firm. Avoid overcrowding the pan.
- Drain and cool: Carefully remove the poached meringue islands with a slotted spoon, place on paper towels to drain excess milk, then refrigerate.
- Mix custard base: In a large bowl, whisk together 80 g sugar and 120 g egg yolks until slightly fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Prepare poaching milk: Drain the milk used for poaching and measure 500 g. If needed, add more milk to reach the amount.
- Heat milk and vanilla: In a saucepan, bring the 500 g milk and 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste to a simmer over medium heat, then remove from heat as soon as simmering starts.
- Temper the egg yolks: Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolk mixture while whisking vigorously to combine and avoid curdling.
- Cook custard: Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it reaches 82°C (180°F). Remove immediately to prevent curdling.
- Chill custard: Transfer custard to a container and refrigerate until fully chilled.
- Assemble and serve: Pour chilled custard into serving bowls and gently place one poached meringue island on top. Serve immediately or chill before serving.
- Storage: Store any leftover meringue and custard separately in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
Notes
- Whisk egg whites until just before stiff peaks to avoid overbeating which can cause dryness.
- Maintain the milk at a gentle simmer, not a boil, when poaching meringue to ensure delicate texture.
- Do not overcrowd meringue balls in the milk to prevent them from sticking or collapsing.
- Temper the egg yolks carefully by slowly adding warm milk to prevent scrambled eggs in the custard.
- Cook custard to exactly 82°C (180°F) to achieve thickness without curdling.
- Cool custard completely before assembling to ensure best texture and flavor.
- If using vanilla extract instead of bean paste, use pure vanilla extract for best flavor.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: French
