Île Flottante with Salted Caramel and Toasted Almonds

⏱ 75 min · Serves 4

Clouds of poached meringue adrift on silky vanilla crème anglaise, drizzled with dark salted caramel and scattered with toasted almond slivers. It's the classic French bistro finale — light as air, deeply nostalgic, and quietly show-stopping.

Per serving: 525 kcal · 12.0g protein · 68.0g carbs · 23.0g fat

Ingredients

• 500ml whole milk
• 1 vanilla pod, split (or 2 tsp vanilla bean paste)
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 70g caster sugar (for the custard)
• 80g caster sugar (for the meringue)
• Pinch of fine salt
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar or a few drops lemon juice
• 120g caster sugar (for the caramel)
• 2 tbsp water
• 60ml double cream, warmed
• 20g unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt
• 40g flaked or slivered almonds

Method

1. Make the crème anglaise: heat the milk with the split vanilla pod and its seeds until steaming, then remove from the heat and infuse 10 minutes.
2. Whisk the 4 egg yolks with 70g sugar until pale. Pour the warm milk in slowly, whisking, then return to the pan.
3. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (82-84C). Do not boil. Strain into a bowl, cool, then chill at least 30 minutes.
4. Toast the almonds in a dry pan over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until golden and fragrant. Tip out and set aside.
5. Make the caramel: put 120g sugar and the water in a clean pan, swirl (don't stir) over medium heat until a deep amber. Off the heat, carefully whisk in the warm cream, then the butter and flaky salt. Cool to a pourable syrup.
6. Poach the meringues: bring a wide pan of water to a bare simmer (no bubbles breaking). Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt and the cream of tartar to soft peaks, then add the 80g sugar a spoonful at a time until thick, glossy and stiff.
7. Using two large spoons, shape 8 quenelles of meringue and slide into the water. Poach 90 seconds, flip gently, poach 90 seconds more. They should feel set and springy. Lift onto kitchen paper with a slotted spoon and chill 15 minutes.
8. To serve, pool the cold crème anglaise into four shallow bowls, float two meringues on each, drizzle generously with salted caramel and shower with toasted almonds.