Recipe - Floating Island (Taste Show)

5 lg Eggs,; separated
1 cup Sugar
2 cup Milk
2 Vanilla beans
4 cup Water
Pinch of salt
Juice of 1 lemon
For caramel syrup:
2/3 cup Granulated sugar or crushed
sugar lumps
1/3 cup Water

In a medium bowl, beat the yolks with 6 tablespoons of the sugar until pale
and thick (about 5 minutes). In a medium saucepan scald the milk with 1 of
the vanilla beans. Split vanilla bean. Beat the milk very gradually into
the egg mixture. Return the mixture to the pan and cook, stirring
constantly with a wooden spoon, for about 10 minutes, until the custard
thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon. (Be careful not to let the
mixture boil or the eggs will curdle). Remove vanilla bean. Place the pan
over ice and stir occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.

While the custard is cooling, beat the whites with the salt, 4 tablespoons
of the sugar, and One fourth teaspoon cream of tartar until stiff peaks are
formed.

In a 12inch skillet, bring the water to a boil with the lemon juice. Lower
the heat. Using a large kitchen spoon, carefully slide 8 scoops of
meringue, one scoop at a time, into the simmering water. Poach the meringue
for 1 One half minutes then turn over and poach for 2 minutes longer. Remove the
meringues with a slotted spoon to a clean kitchen towel.

For the caramel syrup:

Place sugar and water in saucepan and swirl (shake pan with circular
motion) over moderately high heat until the sugar has dissolved completely.
Then let the sugar boil, swirling the pan occasionally, until the syrup
turns a light, nut brown. This will take 3 to 4 minutes. Remove saucepan
from heat as soon as the desired color is reached; if you let it darken too
much, it will have a bitter taste. Pour 1/3 cup of water into the preceding
caramel and simmer, stirring, until the caramel has dissolved.

To assemble the dessert, pour the custard in a large serving bowl and float
the meringues on top. Combine. Immediate drizzle the caramel syrup over the
meringues and serve.

Yield: 8 servings.
Recipe By :TASTE SHOW #0050

Posted to MCRecipe Digest V1 #301

Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 07:43:50 0500

From: Meg Antczak meginny@frontiernet.net