Floating Island

Floating Island (île flottante in French) is a dessert made up of two components: poached meringue and crème anglaise, a sauce-like custard.

Instead of the crème anglaise I decided on a "soup" of macerated strawberries, which I mashed a bit before serving. Some bowls were served with a small amount of cream.
The meringue I used was leftover from another recipe, and it didn't have as much sugar as a regular meringue, but it still worked. The texture of of the "egg" was springy and light. Mixed with the strawberries, it was like a smoothie but in bowl form.

Probably one of the most protein-filled desserts I have made in a while, this was the epitome of a summer dessert. Light, satisfying, and flavorful, but best of all it utilizes one of summer's best fruits.

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The directions for this are pretty simple, so I won't give exact measurements.

Floating Island
Adapted from a Wolfgang Puck recipe
Serves 4-8

Ingredients:

• Your favorite recipe for meringue using 8 egg whites


• 4 cups of sauce, be it the traditional crème anglaise or macerated fruit, enough for 8 1/2-cup servings


• Freshly grated orange zest

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Scoop large serving spoonfuls of meringue into the pot, three at a time. The meringue eggs will puff quite a bit, so don't overcrowd the pot. Poach for 3 minutes on each side, then remove to a cooling rack placed over a baking sheet to let the excess water drip down. Repeat until you have about 8 eggs


2. Ladle 1/2 cup of sauce into each bowl, top with 1 or 2 eggs depending on how many you are serving. Sprinkle with orange zest before serving.

(EoP)