Egg foam with vanilla cream (Iles Flottante)

Ingredients

• 250 ml milk
• 250 ml heavy cream (at least 30% fat)
• 1 Vanilla bean
• 5 egg yolks
• 100 g sugar
• sugar for dusting
• 4 egg whites
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 125 g sugar
• 1 packet vanilla sugar
• 0.5 l milk
• powdered sugar for dusting
• 2 tbsp toasted, peeled almond slivers

Instructions

1. 1.

   Whisk the milk and cream with the vanilla bean and scraped seeds, bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Beat the egg yolks with sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy. Slowly pour the warm milk‑cream mixture into the yolk mixture in a thin stream, stirring constantly; return everything to the pot and cook over low flame while stirring continuously to thicken into sauce—never boil. Transfer the vanilla sauce to a saucier, let cool, and lightly dust the surface with sugar to prevent skin.

2. 2.

   Beat the egg whites with lemon juice until very stiff, adding 25 g sugar and vanilla sugar as you go. Bring milk in a wide pot to a boil while stirring. With two soup spoons, scoop portions of the foam into the non‑boiling milk. Cook each side for 3 minutes. Remove the foam eggs with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper. For caramel, heat remaining sugar over low heat until it melts and turns golden yellow. Spoon vanilla sauce into small bowls, arrange foam eggs on top, drizzle caramel with a small spoon, and sprinkle almond slivers before serving.