This Little-Known French Dessert Was One Of Julia Child's Favorites

Imagine Julia Child on a floating island. No, no. Imagine Julia Child eating a floating island. We're not talking sandy shores or coconuts from coconut trees, but a creamy and custardy dessert. The floating island, known as île flottante in French, was a favorite of Julia Child, the co-author of "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" and beloved host of the PBS series, "The French Chef." The dessert consists of a bowl of vanilla crème anglaise topped with a dollop of poached meringue and finished with a swirl of caramel. 

You wouldn't be remiss in not knowing the custard and egg-white-based dessert, however, as it is definitely a vintage dish, seemingly lost to the annals of culinary history. This is a shame, considering its deep roots in French cuisine. The dessert was first mentioned 1747, when a recipe for the dish was found in a cookbook called "The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy." However, the dessert really took off in the mid-20th century. It isn't at all that surprising considering the slew of meringue-based desserts popularized around that time. Just think of the mile-high peaks of a baked Alaska or the delicate but beautiful Pavlova. However, this doesn't mean that you should discount the vintage dessert. After all, even famous foodie and curmudgeon Anthony Bourdain had a recipe for the dish on hand. And if both Child and Bourdain have a soft spot for the dish, you know it's worth trying.

At first glance, the floating island may seem like a humble dish. it certainly doesn't have the height for the structure of other meringue-based desserts, such as delicate macarons or the fiery baked Alaska. Instead, it presents itself plainly. The dish only has two main components: crème anglaise and floating poached meringues. One scoop of the two components of the dish is enough to stake its claim in the pantheon of desserts. 

It is precisely because of the dish' simplicity that it works so well. The crème anglaise base consists only of egg yolks, sugar, milk, and vanilla. It is cooked on a stovetop, creating a custard that can range in thickness from a sauce to an almost solid consistency. The meringue is usually created with egg whites and sugar that are poached in simmering milk. Now, this is where Julia Child's recipe tip adds variation. Child preferred her meringues to be baked, making her recipe technically an "eggs in snow" or "œufs à la neige" in French. However, this is simply a variation of the floating island dish, and not another dish entirely. You can prepare your meringues in accordance with your own preferences. A baked meringue will produce a more crunchy, airy result, similar to meringue candy. Poaching, on the other hand, will produce a softer meringue, similar to a pie topping.