This little-known French dessert was one of Julia Child’s favorites

Imagine Julia Child on a floating island. No, no. Imagine Julia Child eating a floating island. We’re not talking about sandy shores or coconuts from coconut palms, but a creamy, custardy dessert. The floating island, known in French as île flottante, was a favorite dish of Julia Child, co-author of “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” and beloved host of PBS’s “The French Chef.” The dessert consists of a bowl of vanilla crème anglaise topped with a dollop of cooked meringue and finished with a swirl of caramel.

It would be remiss not to be familiar with the custard and egg white dessert, as it is definitely a vintage dish, seemingly lost in the annals of culinary history. Which is a shame, considering its deep roots in French cuisine. The dessert was first mentioned in 1747, when a recipe for the dish was found in a cookbook titled “The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy.” However, the dessert really took off in the mid-20th century. This is not at all surprising, considering the plethora of meringue-based desserts that were popularized at the time. Just think of the mile-high Baked Alaska or the delicate but beautiful Pavlova. However, that doesn’t mean you should dismiss this vintage dessert. After all, even famous foodie and curmudgeon Anthony Bourdain had a recipe for this dish on hand. And if both Child and Bourdain have a soft spot for this dish, you know it’s worth a try.

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Creating the Perfect Island

At first glance, the floating island may seem like a humble dish. It certainly doesn’t have the height to give structure to other meringue-based desserts, such as delicate macarons or fiery baked Alaska. Instead, it presents itself simply. The dish has only two main ingredients: crème anglaise and floating cooked meringues. A single scoop of these two ingredients is enough to claim its place in the dessert pantheon.

It’s the simplicity of the dish that makes it work so well. The base of crème anglaise is just egg yolks, sugar, milk, and vanilla. It’s cooked on the stove, creating a cream that can range from a sauce to a nearly solid consistency. Meringue is typically made with egg whites and sugar cooked in simmering milk. Now, this is where Julia Child’s recipe tip adds variety. Child preferred her meringues to be baked, which makes her recipe technically “eggs in the snow” or “œufs à la neige” in French. However, this is simply a variation of the floating island dish, not a completely different dish. You can prepare the meringues to your own preferences. Baked meringue will give a crispier, fluffier effect, similar to meringue candy. Cooking on the other hand will give a softer meringue, similar to cake frosting.

Read the original article on Chowhound.