I often find myself daydreaming about coconut trees and white sand beaches so when the thought of Ile Flottante came up I couldn’t resist giving it a tropical facelift. I’m usually not a fan of microwave ovens but I’ll do an exception today. I’ll show you a great way to make perfect egg white “islands” in a snap. They’ll remind you of fluffy marshmallows. And on top (or rather bottom) of the Tahitian vanilla crème anglaise on which to float those islands I added a passionfruit and banana espuma, because no waves are complete without a little foam. Some coconut flakes sprinkled on top and a caramel tree to add to the landscape and you’ve got the next best thing to a one way ticket to Bora-Bora.

There is some confusion about the name of this classic dessert. In French cuisine, the terms œufs à la neige (“eggs in snow”) and île flottante (“floating island”) are sometimes used interchangeably; the latter is the source of the English name. The difference between the two dishes is that île flottante sometimes contains islands made of alternate layers of alcohol-soaked dessert biscuits and jam. I say, call it whatever you feel like.

This dessert is perfect to serve in a glass at a dinner party because not only it looks pretty sleek, but all the components can be prepared ahead of time and assembled at the last moment. You could finish it at the table and make a little show a la “Top Chef” in front of your guests. You NEED to get yourself a iSi Gourmet Whip!

Have fun!

• Ile Flottante “Tropical”

• • Serves 4

• • For the egg whites “islands”:

  • 5 large egg whites
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 finely grated lemon or lime zest

  • For the crème anglaise:

  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 Tahitian vanilla bean
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 4 large egg yolks

  • For the banana-passionfruit espuma:

  • 1/3 cup passionfruit juice (no seeds)
  • 1/2 cup banana purée (in food processor)
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 cup cold heavy cream

  • For the caramel and finish:

  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • shredded coconut

  • For the egg whites “islands”:

  • Place the egg whites in the clean bowl of a KitchenAid and start whipping on medium high until foamy. Add the pinch of salt and keep whipping to soft peaks. Slowly add the sugar and the grated zests and keep whipping until firm and glossy.
  • Fill ramequins with the egg white mixture and smooth the top with a spatula. Place the ramequins in a microwave oven and “nuke” them for 30 seconds on high.
  • Unmold the egg whites (they will have the texture of light marshmallows at this point) and use a pastry ring or cookie cutters to make evenly shaped cylinders. Reserve on the side.

  • For the crème anglaise:

  • Combine the milk, the cream and the Tahitian vanilla bean (split in half and scrapped) in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer.
  • Meanwhile combine the sugar and egg yolks in a bowl and whisk for 30 seconds. Add a little of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolks mixture while whisking continuously. Return the egg yolk mixture to the saucepan with the rest of the milk mixture and cook on medium heat while stirring with a spatula. Do not boil or it will curdle! The crème anglaise is ready when it thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat, cool and refrigerate.

  • For the banana-passionfruit espuma:

  • Combine the passionfruit juice, the banana purée, the sugar and the cream until smooth. Strain if necessary. Fill a iSi Gourmet Whip with the mixture and charge with two N02 cartridges, shaking it between charges. Keep cold.

  • For the caramel and finish:

  • Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan and place over medium heat until you obtain a light amber caramel. Pour the caramel onto a tray lined a silpat and let it cool until pliable but not so much that it hardens (be careful, don’t burn yourself). Detach little clumps of caramel and pull them to create attractive shapes.
  • Pipe some banana-passionfruit espuma at the bottom of balloon glasses, top with some cold crème anglaise, top with egg white “islands” and garnish with grated coconut, passionfruit juice, lime zest and caramel strips.