Floating Island - Individual French Pastry

A great Classic French Pastry - Íle Flottante. A floating island of baked merangue, served on top of chilled creme anglaise. Angel hair garnish. - 4 servings

Category:
Parfait Dishes

Serving Size:
4 Dishes

Difficulty Level:
Beginner

Photo Gallery:
No

Storage Factor:
+0 Day

| Floating Island |

Ingredients Required: Floating Island

	Ingredient	Quantity
	Creme Anglais
1.	Fresh Milk	12 ounces (1-1/2 cups)
2.	Granulated Sugar	3 ounces (1/2 cup)
3.	Egg Yolks (fresh)	4
	Meringue
4.	Egg Whites (fresh)	4
5.	Granulated Sugar	1/2 ounce (4 Tablespoons)
6.	Powdered Sugar	4 Tablespoons
	Angel Hair
7.	Granulated Sugar	1-1/2 ounces (1/4 cup)
8.	Vinegar	1/2 teaspoon
9.	Water	3 or 4 teaspoons

Preparation Instructions: Floating Island

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Process	Instructions
1. Prepare	Prepare the Creme Anglaise by bringing the milk to a boil with the granulated sugar, stirring frequently.
2. Beat	Whip the egg yolks until they are thickened and foamy light. Pour one half the boiling milk onto the yolks while mixing, then return the yolk mixture to the boiling milk.
3. Cook	Cook the milk / yolk mixture stirring constantly across the bottom of the pan on a medium heat. If you have a thermometer it should start to thicken at around 190°(F). Stop cooking when it thickens, and continue to stir across the bottom for a minute or so after removing from the heat. BE CERTAIN THAT YOU DO NOT ALLOW THIS MIXTURE TO RETURN TO A BOIL.
4. Chill	Place in a clean container and chill, stirring every 20 minutes or so.
5. Prepare	Create the Islands by whipping the egg whites - adding the sugar when they are coming up. Beat the whites until they are stiff and dry. (Not soft peaks).
6. Shape	Preheat a hot oven. Using a spatula pack the meringue into a round dish or mold. Scoop it out onto a parchment covered baking pan. Repeat this until you have portioned the meringue to create the four mounds of egg whites. Sculpt and model the Islands as needed until you have used all the meringue, and they are all shaped uniformly.
7. Sift	Sift on top of each mound a large amount of Powdered Sugar - to cover. Bake in the hot oven reducing to 395°(F), for about 15 minutes. Cool on the pan.
8. Portion	Portion the chilled Creme Anglaise into four flat serving bowls. Loosen the Islands from the baking paper and place on top of the cream.
9. Garnish	Make a dark caramel syrup as follows. In a microwave measuring cup, combine the sugar, vinegar and water. Clean the sides of the cup with wet fingers or a wet brush. No sugar granules should be left on the sides. Bring to a boil and reduce to 70% power. Boil slowly until a dark golden color is obtained. CAUTION should be used in making the caramel syrup it is VERY HOT!
10. Apply	Angel hair is made from cooled dark caramel syrup. It is commonly drizzled from the tines of a fork. It cools as it lands, (I catch it in a couple fingers) and must be used right away before it becomes cold and brittle. Garnish the top of the Islands by drizzling the caramel directly onto the meringue or by making the Angel Hair.
Additional Comments:	In the picture - I drizzled some caramel directly onto the Island and then garnished it more with the angel hair.