Floating Islands

 

Serves 6 - 8

 

Preparation: 45 minute

 

This takes a little while to prepare, but is light and delicious and always an impressive dish to serve to your friends and family.

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

 

• 4 eggs separated

• 1 pt milk heated with vanilla pod

• More milk

• 4 oz icing sugar

• 3 oz vanilla sugar

• Zest of orange

• Grand Marnier

 

 

Caramel crunch:

 

• 3-4 oz sugar

• Water

• Handful unblanched almonds

 

 

 

 

Method

 

1. Heat pint of milk with vanilla pod very gently in a saucepan or deep frying pan with lid.  
    

2. Whisk egg whites until stiff and whisk in icing sugar until stiff, smooth and shiny.
    

3. As soon as the milk begins to rise, take out pod, drop in small spoonfuls of egg white mixture into hot milk, set well apart and they swell during cooking.
    

4. Cover pan with a lid and leave to simmer for 3 mins, then turn “islands” very carefully using slotted spoon.
    

5. Leave to poach for further 3 mins, lift out and place very carefully into a large dish.
    

6. Use up remaining egg white mixture in same way.
    

7. Strain milk into measuring jug and make up to three-quarters of a pint with cold milk.
    

8. Whisk together egg yolks, a little milk and one teaspoon of vanilla sugar. 
    

9. Heat remaining milk with 3oz sugar. Pour over heated milk onto egg mixture, whisking all the time, return liquid to stove and cook gently over a low flame or double boiler, stirring constantly until thickened.
    

10. Remove from heat and leave to cool a little, stirring from time to time. Grate some zest of orange over “islands” and add a good dash to Grand Marnier. Spoon over egg mixture.
     

11. You can also add almond crunch by melting sugar in a little water and heating until the mixture caramelises. 
     

12. Throw in a handful of unblanched almonds and pour mixture onto buttered baking sheet.  Careful in case it splutters.
     

13. Leave to go cold and break into chunks.