Floating islands are a classic French dessert. They are beautiful and light, made with soft-poached egg whites, then placed on top of a smooth crème anglaise. Best of all, it's naturally gluten-free. We love the contrast between the airy texture of the egg whites and the richness of the crème anglaise. It's a childhood memory because my mother made them very often, and even though it takes a little time, it's still easy to make. The freshly poached egg whites retain all their lightness. The vanilla-flavored crème anglaise provides the perfect touch of sweetness. It can be prepared in advance and kept chilled. A drizzle of liquid caramel (preferably homemade) at the last minute, a few slivered almonds for decoration, and your dessert is ready to be enjoyed. A recipe that transcends generations and continues to delight young and old alike.

Floating Islands, a French classic

France

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Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time 14 minutes Rest time: 1 hour Total time 1 hr 34 mins

Difficulty: Intermediate Servings: 4 Special regime:

Naturally gluten-free

Cooking method: Traditional

Ingredients

Portions

• 4 eggs (at room temperature, whites and yolks separated)
• 70 g of sugar
• 500 ml of milk
• 1 vanilla bean
• 20g of icing sugar
• 50 g of sugar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of water (to start cooking)
• 1 tablespoon of hot water (to make it liquid at the end)

Preparation

1. Heat the milk with the split and scraped vanilla pod.
   
2. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until the mixture turns white.
3. Pour the hot milk over the egg yolks while whisking, then return to low heat without boiling. Stir until you obtain a custard that coats the back of a spoon.
   
4. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form, adding the icing sugar gradually.
5. Form large quenelles and poach them for 1 minute on each side in a pan of simmering water. Drain.
   
6. Prepare the caramel:
7. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour the sugar with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.
8. Heat over medium heat without stirring (you can just tilt the pan gently if needed).
   
9. Cook until it reaches a golden amber color.
10. Remove from heat and gently add 1 tbsp of hot water (be careful of splashes).
11. Stir gently with a wooden spoon or spatula to homogenize.
12. Let it cool slightly: your liquid caramel is ready to drizzle over desserts and creams.
13. Serve the poached egg whites on top of chilled crème anglaise. Drizzle with caramel just before serving. You can also decorate with flaked almonds.
    

Note

Tip: You can store the caramel in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks .

Keywords: gluten-free French dessert, traditional recipe, easy floating islands, poached egg whites, gluten-free custard.

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