Iles Flottantes Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in lower third. Butter a 4 1/4-cup charlotte mold; set aside. Put egg whites into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium speed until frothy. Beat in cream of tartar. Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff and shiny, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer meringue to prepared mold. Tap it on counter to remove air pockets. Butter a round of parchment; place, buttered side down, over meringue.
• Put mold in a medium saucepan; transfer to oven. Carefully pour hot water into the pan to reach halfway up the side of the mold. Bake until meringue is puffed slightly over top of mold, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer mold to a wire rack; remove parchment. Let cool 30 minutes. Meringue can be refrigerated in the mold up to 1 day.
• To serve, unmold onto a platter; drain any liquid. Spoon creme around meringue, and top with sugar crown.

Steps:

• For the creme anglaise: Mix the sugar and egg yolks together in a bowl.
• Place the vanilla pod and seeds in a pan with the milk and pepper and bring to a boil. Remove the pod (you can rinse and dry it and use it for vanilla sugar). Then pour a little of the hot milk onto the egg yolk mixture, whisking continuously. Gradually whisk in the rest of the milk, and then pour the mix into a clean pan, set over a gentle heat and whisk constantly. Do not let the custard simmer at any point or it will split. After 5 minutes it will begin to thicken slightly and become the consistency of single cream (it will thicken more when it cools down). Transfer to a bowl and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
• For the praline: Line a baking tray with baking paper.
• Put the sugar and 1 fluid ounce/25 milliliters water into a large pan; heat gently until the sugar dissolves, and then increase the heat to high. When the mixture starts to bubble, add the almonds and continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring continuously to prevent the almonds sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning. Once the sugar and nuts have become a dark golden-brown caramel colour, pour onto the prepared tray and spread as thinly as possible with a palette knife (be quick as it sets fast). Set aside to cool.
• For the meringue islands: Put half the egg whites into a clean glass or metal bowl. Add the sugar, lemon juice and salt and whisk until snow white. Add the rest of the egg whites and continue whisking until the meringue forms stiff peaks when the whisk is removed.
• Gently drop 6 spoonfuls of meringue into a large pot of simmering water and simmer until they are slightly puffed up and just set, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place onto a sheet of baking paper until needed.
• To assemble, pour a ladleful of creme anglaise into each of 6 glasses and gently place a meringue in the centre. Snap the praline into small pieces and sprinkle on top.

Steps:

• To make the custard, pour the milk into a saucepan, preferably non-stick. Using the point of a knife, split the vanilla pod down the length and scrape out the seeds. Cut the pod into three and add to the milk with the seeds. Heat gently, then simmer for 5 minutes.
• Put the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl. Whisk together until pale and thick, then gradually whisk in the hot milk. Return to the pan and cook over a gentle heat, stirring all the time, until slightly thickened. Don't rush this, it should take about 10 minutes, and take care not to let the custard boil or it will curdle. It won't be as thick as bought custard, it will just lightly coat the back of a wooden spoon.
• Strain into a clean bowl, discard the vanilla pods, cover with cling film and cool. (Can be made up to 2 days ahead or frozen.)
• To make the meringue, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, then whisk in a third of the sugar, then another third, and finally the remainder.When the meringue is ready, it will stand in peaks that dip at the end, like a bird's beak.
• Sift the cocoa powder and whisk in. Spoon the meringue into six tea cups, and microwave (500W) individually for 10-15 seconds until firm to the touch. Leave to cool.
• Just before serving, spoon the custard into six glasses or glass dishes. Invert each île flotante on to your hand, then slide carefully on top of the custard. Scatter with chocolate curls or grated chocolate and serve. (The desserts can be assembled and chilled for up to 1 hour before serving.)