Oeuf à la Neige (Floating Island)

Ingredients

• 1.5 egg whites, room temperature
• 2.0.125 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3.dash salt
• 4.160 ml sugar, for meringue
• 5.450 ml milk, scalded; for custard
• 6.2.5 ml vanilla essence, for custard
• 7.50 gram sugar, for custard
• 8.1 teaspoon cornflour, for custard
• 9.4 egg yolks, for custard
• 10.500 ml sugar, for caramel halo / spun sugar
• 11.250 ml water, for caramel halo
• 12.pinch cream of tartar, for caramel halo

Method

1. 1.--- MERINGUE ISLAND ---
2. 2.Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
3. 3.Beat the egg whites until frothy.
4. 4.Add the cream of tartar and the salt, beat.
5. 5.As the egg whites stiffen, slowly add the sugar, beating all the time.
6. 6.Spoon into an UNGREASED, bowl-shaped mould — stainless steel or pyrex. Do not use a teflon lined mould.
7. 7.Fill mould ¾ way. Remove any air bubbles by pressing down with a spoon.
8. 8.Place in a bath of hot water.
9. 9.Reduce oven temperature to 300°F (160°C).
10. 10.Bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until knife comes out clean.
11. 11.Switch oven off and cool in oven with door ajar.
12. 12.Meringue will rise well above the mould during baking and settle to rim while cooling.
13. 13.Turn out onto the dish in which the dessert is to be served. The dish must have a rim.
14. 14.--- CUSTARD ---
15. 15.Scald the milk.
16. 16.Beat the sugar, cornflour and egg yolks until pale, creamy and thick enough to fall in a satiny ribbon from the whisk.
17. 17.Whisk in the warm milk, a little at a time.
18. 18.Put in top of double boiler over hot — not boiling — water and stir for about 10 minutes, until sauce coats the back of a spoon.
19. 19.Do not allow the custard to approach simmering point — it will curdle and turn lumpy.
20. 20.Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla essence.
21. 21.Plunge the base of the saucepan into cold water to arrest cooking and hasten cooling.
22. 22.Stir frequently. When cold, cover with clingwrap and refrigerate until needed.
23. 23.--- CARAMEL HALO (SPUN SUGAR) ---
24. 24.It is advisable to use a sugar thermometer.
25. 25.Put the sugar and water in a heavy saucepan. Heat, stirring ONLY until the sugar is dissolved.
26. 26.Cook to 280°F (140°C) — the soft crack stage.
27. 27.Add the cream of tartar and continue cooking until well caramelized.
28. 28.Take two forks, dip the prongs into the hot syrup, let excess drip back into pot.
29. 29.Bring the prongs together and then pull apart, forming fine strands of spun sugar.
30. 30.Wind these strands around the meringue and continue spinning until a thick halo is formed.
31. 31.--- TO ASSEMBLE ---
32. 32.Pour the cold custard around the meringue 'island' and put in fridge until ready to serve.
33. 33.Add the caramel halo a few hours before serving.

Notes

• The meringue and custard may be made early in the day.
• The spun sugar should be made a few hours before serving.
• Tip for spun sugar: Spin sugar round an inverted base. Try slightly oiled and then not. Put base on glass dish — glass is a good conductor. Freeze for a few hours.
• If you set the syrup in a pan of water while spinning the sugar, it will prevent the syrup changing colour and also make it more pliable.
• See Almond Tuile recipe for a garnish to accompany this dessert.
• Clingwrap = South African term for plastic wrap / cling film.