Caramel Floating Island

recipe

• Step 1
  Preheat the oven to 160°C. To make the caramel, heat half the sugar in a saucepan with the same amount of water as the sugar.
• Step 2
  Add a pinch of salt and cook until it starts to caramelize (about 5 minutes on medium heat).
• Step 3
  Pour the caramel into the bottom of your pot (we used a 18 cm diameter dish here), make sure to spread it over evenly to reach the edges. Place in a cool place until it hardens.
• Step 4
  Separate the egg whites from the yolks.
• Step 5
  Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt. When they start to stiffen, add 4 tablespoons of sugar and whisk the mixture again.
• Step 6
  Pour the beaten whites into the pot, spreading each layer well.
• Step 7
  Place the pot in a large, high-sided ovenproof dish and fill with hot water. Add a (heat resistant) lid or aluminum foil to your pot and bake for 15 minutes.
• Step 8
  De-seed the vanilla bean by cutting it in half lengthwise and then sliding the knife blade in while scraping out the seeds. Keep the rest of the pod.
• Step 9
  Pour the milk into a saucepan over medium heat (keep 3 tablespoons aside). Add the vanilla bean seeds, the vanilla bean pod and bring to a boil (be careful not to let the milk boil over.
• Step 10
  In the meantime, dilute the cornstarch with the cold milk and mix.
• Step 11
  Add the remaining sugar to the egg yolks and whisk.
• Step 12
  Add the milk/cornstarch mixture and whisk.
• Step 13
  When the milk is boiling, remove the pan and pour the hot milk in two batches over the egg/sugar mixture while continuing to whisk.
• Step 14
  After 15 minutes, remove the eggs from the oven and remove the lid. Return to the oven for 30 minutes.
• Step 15
  Put your cream back into the pan over low heat and continue to stir. It will thicken, be careful not to let the mixture boil!
• Step 16
  Once your cream has thickened, pour it into another cold container to cool faster. You can also place the bowl in another container filled with ice cubes and/or cold water. Then place it in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
• Step 17
  After 30 minutes, remove the floating island from the oven and plunge the pot directly into cold water and let cool.
• Step 18
  Sauté the slivered almonds in a frying pan on high heat for 2 minutes while stirring. Set aside.
• Step 19
  When the eggs have cooled, carefully loosen them from the edges of the pan with a knife if they are still clinging, then place them in a shallow dish.
• Step 20
  Pour the cold cream all around the island, add the remaining caramel if you have any left in the bottom of the pot and sprinkle with slivered almonds.
• Step 21
  Serve and enjoy!