Prepare the Creme Anglaise by bringing the
milk to a boil with the granulated sugar, stirring frequently. |
Whip the egg yolks until they are thickened and
foamy light. Pour one half the boiling milk onto the yolks while mixing,
then return the yolk mixture to the boiling milk. |
Cook the milk / yolk mixture stirring constantly
across the bottom of the pan on a medium heat. If you have a thermometer
it should start to thicken at around 190°(F). Stop cooking when
it thickens, and continue to stir across the bottom for a minute or
so after removing from the heat. BE CERTAIN THAT YOU DO NOT ALLOW
THIS MIXTURE TO RETURN TO A BOIL. |
Place in a clean container and chill, stirring every
20 minutes or so. |
Create the Islands by whipping the egg whites
- adding the sugar when they are coming up. Beat the whites until
they are stiff and dry. (Not soft peaks). |
Preheat a hot oven. Using a spatula pack the meringue
into a round dish or mold. Scoop it out onto a parchment covered baking
pan. Repeat this until you have portioned the meringue to create the
four mounds of egg whites. Sculpt and model the Islands as needed
until you have used all the meringue, and they are all shaped uniformly. |
Sift on top of each mound a large amount of Powdered
Sugar - to cover. Bake in the hot oven reducing to 395°(F), for
about 15 minutes. Cool on the pan. |
Portion the chilled Creme Anglaise into four flat
serving bowls. Loosen the Islands from the baking paper and place
on top of the cream. |
Make a dark caramel syrup as follows. In a microwave
measuring cup, combine the sugar, vinegar and water. Clean the sides
of the cup with wet fingers or a wet brush. No sugar granules should
be left on the sides. Bring to a boil and reduce to 70% power. Boil
slowly until a dark golden color is obtained. CAUTION should
be used in making the caramel syrup it is VERY HOT! |
Angel hair is made from cooled dark caramel syrup.
It is commonly drizzled from the tines of a fork. It cools as it lands,
(I catch it in a couple fingers) and must be used right away before
it becomes cold and brittle. Garnish the top of the Islands by drizzling
the caramel directly onto the meringue or by making the Angel Hair. |
In the picture - I drizzled some caramel directly
onto the Island and then garnished it more with the angel hair. |