Île Flottante

Name: Île Flottante
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 500ml Whole Milk; 1 Vanilla Beans, split, seeds scraped; 6 Egg Yolks; 100g Sugar; 6 Egg Whites; 100g Sugar; 500ml Whole Milk, for poaching; 120g Sugar; 2 tbsp Water; 3 drops of Lemon Juice; 2 tbsp Sliced Almonds, lightly toasted (optional); 1 pinches of Salt, fine; 1 pinches of Salt, fine

Île Flottante is a classic French dessert of pillowy poached meringues floating on a silky vanilla crème anglaise, finished with a glossy caramel and crunchy toasted almonds. The contrast of light, cloud-like whites with rich custard and a scattering of caramel and nuts makes each spoonful elegant and comforting.

Île Flottante is a classic French dessert of pillowy poached meringues floating on a silky vanilla crème anglaise, finished with a... Show more

Traditional French Recipe

Health Grade

E+ · Indulgent

Rating

4.0

Time

1 hr

Price

0,60 €

Calories

360 kcal

vegetarian

low calorie

gluten free

low sodium

Method

Prep everything

Separate 6 Egg Yolks into one bowl and 6 Egg Whites into a spotless, grease-free bowl. Split the Vanilla Bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds, then keep both the seeds and pod for the milk. If you're using the Sliced Almonds, toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, shaking the pan often, until pale gold and fragrant, then set them aside.

Cook the custard

Pour the Whole Milk into a saucepan, add the vanilla seeds and pod, and warm it over medium heat until steaming and just starting to quiver at the edges. In a bowl, whisk the yolks with the Sugar and Salt (fine) until smooth and slightly paler. Slowly whisk in a ladleful of the hot milk to temper the eggs, then pour everything back into the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, for 3 to 5 minutes until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon; do not let it boil. Strain it through a fine sieve into a clean bowl.

Chill the custard

Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard and chill for 30 minutes, or until cool enough to spoon into bowls. This keeps a skin from forming while you finish the meringues and caramel.

Whip the meringue

In a clean bowl, whisk the 6 Egg Whites with the remaining Salt (fine) until foamy. Add the remaining Sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking well after each addition, until the meringue is thick, glossy, and holds firm peaks that stand straight up when you lift the whisk.

Poach the îles

Pour the remaining milk into a wide saucepan and bring it to a very gentle simmer over medium-low heat; the surface should barely quiver. Spoon the meringue into the milk in batches, leaving space between each island, and poach for 2 minutes. Flip each one carefully with a slotted spoon and poach for 2 minutes more, until puffed and just set. Lift them out and let them drain on a plate.

Make the caramel

In a small saucepan, combine the Sugar, 2 tbsp Water, and 3 drops of Lemon Juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring only until the sugar dissolves, then swirl the pan occasionally as the syrup turns a deep amber, about 5 minutes; lower the heat at once if it darkens too quickly so it does not burn. Remove the pan from the heat immediately, because caramel keeps darkening from the residual heat.

Assemble and serve

Spoon the chilled crème anglaise into 6 shallow bowls, top each one with a poached meringue, and drizzle the caramel over the top in thin threads. Finish with the toasted sliced almonds if you used them, and serve right away.

Ingredients

Method

For 6 servings

Adjust servings

For the crème anglaise (custard)

500ml Whole Milk
1 Vanilla Beans, split, seeds scraped
6 Egg Yolks
100g Sugar
1 pinches of Salt, fine

For the poached meringues (îles)

6 Egg Whites
100g Sugar
500ml Whole Milk, for poaching
1 pinches of Salt, fine

For the caramel and garnish

120g Sugar
2 tbsp Water
3 drops of Lemon Juice
2 tbsp Sliced Almonds, lightly toasted (optional)

🧂 Plus ~1g of salt

Nutrition

Per Serving.

Calories

360 kcal

18% of Daily kcal

Protein

9.6 g

19% RDI

Fat

9.6 g

3.5g sat fat

Carbs

59 g

21% RDI

Sugar

58 g

100% RDI

Fiber

0.3 g

1% RDI

Salt

0.1 g

2% RDI

Quality Profile

Scored against dietary guidelines.
Tap rows for a deeper breakdown.

Composite score - weighted by current nutrition science

E+ · 3.7 / 10

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