Equipment
Ingredients
Creme Anglaise (Vanilla Custard)
- 500 ml whole milk
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
- 6 egg yolks, room temperature
- 100 g caster sugar
Poached Meringues
- 4 egg whites, room temperature
- 1 g cream of tartar
- 80 g caster sugar
- 1000 ml whole milk
Spun Sugar
- 150 g caster sugar
- 45 ml water
- 15 g light corn syrup
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
In a medium saucepan, combine 500ml whole milk with the split vanilla bean and scraped seeds. Place over medium heat until it reaches a bare simmer at 82 C or 180 F. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 15 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, aggressively whisk the egg yolks and 100g caster sugar together until the mixture falls in thick ribbons and becomes pale yellow.
Remove the vanilla pod from the milk. Slowly stream the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from scrambling.
Return the combined mixture to the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon or spatula in a figure-eight motion, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon, reaching exactly 82 C or 180 F.
Immediately pour the custard through a fine mesh strainer into a clean mixing bowl set over an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Stir occasionally until completely cool, then cover with plastic wrap touching the surface and chill.
In the exceptionally clean bowl of a stand mixer, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form.
With the mixer running, gradually add the 80g of caster sugar one spoonful at a time. Continue whipping until the meringue is thick, glossy, and holds stiff peaks.
In a wide, shallow saucepan, bring the 1000ml of poaching milk to a gentle simmer around 80 C or 175 F. Use two large spoons to shape the meringue into smooth, oval quenelles and gently drop them into the liquid.
Poach the meringues in batches for 2 minutes on each side, flipping gently with a slotted spoon. They will expand slightly and become firm to the touch.
Use a slotted spoon to carefully transfer the poached meringues to a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain excess liquid. Let them cool completely.
For the spun sugar, combine 150g caster sugar, 45ml water, and corn syrup in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Boil over medium-high heat without stirring until the mixture reaches a hard crack stage and turns light amber, registering 155 C or 310 F.
Remove the caramel from heat and let it cool for about 2 minutes until it thickens slightly to the consistency of warm honey. Dip two forks held back-to-back into the caramel and flick the sugar rapidly back and forth over a rolling pin wrapped in parchment paper to create thin threads. Gather into nests.
To serve, pour a generous pool of chilled creme anglaise into wide, shallow bowls. Gently place one or two poached meringues on top of the custard.
Immediately before serving, crown the floating meringues with a delicate nest of spun sugar.
Chef's Notes
- Ensure your stand mixer bowl and whisk are absolutely free of grease before whipping egg whites, wiping them down with a splash of white vinegar or lemon juice if necessary.
- Do not discard the poaching milk. It absorbs a wonderful sweetness from the meringues and can be strained and used for oatmeal, hot chocolate, or a future batch of custard.
- Humidity is the enemy of spun sugar. On a rainy or highly humid day, the delicate sugar threads will absorb moisture from the air and melt within 20 minutes. Spin your sugar at the absolute last second before serving.
- If you lack the courage for spun sugar, a straightforward dark caramel sauce drizzled lightly over the meringues provides the same classic flavor profile with significantly less stress.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store creme anglaise and poached meringues in separate airtight containers. Spun sugar will melt in the refrigerator and must be made fresh.
