Oeufs A La Neige
Recipe By: Guy Reuge
1 Simple Meringue:
8 eggs whites -- at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
Creme Anglaise:
1 cup granulated sugar
8 large egg yolks
1 quarts milk
1 vanilla bean
For the Simple Meringue: With a balloon whisk, beat the egg whites
until soft peak. Add the sugar. Continue beating until the egg whites
are glossy. The meringue should form long peaks when the whisk is
lifted. Fold in the vanilla With two tablespoons, shape ovals of
meringue and drop them into a large pan of simmering water. Poach
them until firm, 2 to 3 minutes, turning them once. Drain them on
paper towels.
For the Creme Anglaise: Whisk egg yolks and sugar until ribboned. The
mixture should be thick, smooth and homogenous.
Pour the milk into a 3-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan and place it
over medium-high heat. Use a sharp knife to slice the vanilla bean in
half lengthtwise. Separate the seeds from the skin by scraping the
blade of the knife along the inside of the bean. Add the seeds and
the skin to the mixture and bring to a boil. Remove the saucepan from
the heat.
Temper the egg mixture with the hot milk mixture by carefully pouring
about one third of the milk into the egg mixture. Whisk immediate to
keep the eggs from scrambling. Pour the tempered egg mixture into the
saucepan, place over medium heat, and cook, stirring constantly with
a heatproof rubber spatula. The liquid will begin to thicken. When it
reaches 182 degrees and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon,
it is finished and should be removed from the heat.
If you do not have a thermometer, you can tell that the creme
anglaise is ready by using the following method: In one quick motion,
dip the spatula into the creme anglaise and hold it horizontally in
front of you. With the tip of your finger, wipe a clean line down the
center of the spatula. If the trail keeps its shape, the creme
anglaise is ready. If the trail fills with liquid, cook it for
another minute and repeat the test. The objective is to remove the
creme anglaise from the heat just before it boils.
If the creme anglaise boils, the egg yolks will scramble. If this
happens, you can still use the mixture as an ice cream base if you
strain it. You will not be able to use it as a sauce, because once
the eggs are scrambled, they lose their ability to hold a sauce
together.
Strain the creme anglaise through a chinois or fine-mesh sieve into
the bowl placed in the ice bath, to remove the vanilla bean and any
cooked egg. Stir occasionally to allow the creme anglaise to cool
evenly. Once it has cooled completely, pour it into a clean
container. Place plastic wrap directly on top of the creme anglaise
to prevent a skin from forming and store in the refrigerator for up
to three days.
Pour the custard into a shallow bowl and pile the meringue "eggs" in
the center.
Prep Time: 12 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
http://www. terrypogue. com
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