Île Flottante

Questions About Île Flottante

The Method for Île Flottante

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1. Heat the 600 ml milk with the vanilla to steaming and infuse 15 minutes.

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2. Whisk the yolks and sugar until pale, pour the warm milk over, then return to a gentle heat.

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3. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until it coats the back and a finger leaves a clean line — around 82°C / 180°F. Strain immediately into a cold bowl and chill.

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4. Whisk the whites with the salt to soft peaks, then add the sugar gradually to a stiff, glossy meringue.

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5. Heat the poaching milk to a bare tremble. Shape quenelles between two spoons and poach them 2 minutes a side, turning once. Lift onto a cloth.

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6. Boil the caramel sugar and water to a deep amber.

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7. Pour the cold anglaise into bowls, float the meringues on it, thread the hot caramel over in fine lines and scatter with almonds.

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Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.

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Worth Getting Right

• Take the anglaise off at 82°C / 180°F. Above 85°C / 185°F it scrambles.
• Poach in a bare tremble. Boiling milk shreds the meringue.
• Thread the caramel from a height for fine lines.

Serve It With

Espresso · A crisp tuile · Nothing else

Leftovers and Storage

The anglaise keeps 2 days refrigerated. Poach the meringues on the day and assemble to order.

What's in a Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.