Oeufs A La Neige Recipes

FLOATING ISLAND (OEUFS A LA NEIGE)

Steps:

• Separate two of the eggs. In top of double boiler, combine 1 whole egg and 2 yolks with 1/4 cup sugar and the salt, whisking until smooth. Whisk in the milk and cook over simmering water, stirring constantly with a spatula or wooden spoon. When the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, remove it from the heat. (Do not boil. If custard should start to curdle, remove from heat and beat vigorously until smooth.) Pour the custard through a strainer into a bowl and stir in the vanilla extract. Cool and refrigerate.
• In a heat-proof bowl, lightly whisk the 2 egg whites with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, just enough to dissolve the sugar. Place the bowl on top of a pot of simmering water and stir constantly until the temperature of the whites reaches 145 degrees F (63 C) or hotter. Immediately remove the bowl from the heat, and use an electric mixer to beat the warm egg whites until they form stiff, glossy peaks.
• Pour the chilled custard into a serving dish. Drop the meringue by heaping tablespoons onto the custard to make islands. Chill before serving.

ŒUFS à LA NEIGE (SNOW EGGS)

Steps:

• To make the crème anglaise, combine the milk and sugar in a medium saucepan. Split the ½ vanilla bean lengthwise then scrape out the seeds and put them, and the pod, into the milk. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. (Use six if you want a standard custard sauce, eight if you prefer it extra-rich.)
• Make an ice bath by nesting a medium size metal bowl in a large bowl filled with ice and a little cold water. Set a mesh strainer over the top.
• Heat the milk until steaming. Whisk some of the warmed milk mixture into the egg yolks, then scrape the warmed yolks back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom, sides, and corners of the pan, until the custard is thick enough to coat the spatula. Don't let the mixture boil.
• Immediately strain the custard through the mesh strainer into the chilled bowl. Pluck out the vanilla pod, wipe off any bits of egg on it, and return it to the warm custard. Stir the crème anglaise to help cool it down. Once cool, refrigerate.
• To make the meringues, line a baking sheet lined with a clean tea towel or paper towels. In a large, wide saucepan or casserole, fill it about halfway with water and heat it until it comes to a lively simmer.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment at medium speed, or by hand with a whisk, whip the egg whites with the salt until they are foamy. Increase the speed of the mixer (or your whipping, with the whisk) until the egg whites begin to start holding their shape. Whip in the 1/3 cup sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until the whites hold their shape when you lift the whip. Do not overwhip or the meringues will be dry.
• Using two large soup spoons, scoop up a generous amount of the meringue onto one spoon - it should be heaped up so high that it threatens to fall off - then take the second spoon to scrape it off, dropping the oval of meringue into the simmering water. (You might be tempted to spend a few moments shaping the meringue into a nicer oval with the second spoon before scraping it off, but in the finished dessert, it won't really matter much all that much. Remember, this is a home-style dessert.) Don't crowd too many into the pot; they should be allowed to float freely. Doing six at a time is usually a good number. Plan on getting sixteen meringues from the egg whites, total. But don't worry if you don't; two makes a good portion for some people, others want three.
• Poach the meringues for 3 to 4 minutes, then flip each one with a slotted spoon, and poach for another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the meringues with a slotted spoon and put them on the lined baking sheet. Poach the remaining meringues.
• When all the meringues have been poached, pour the crème anglaise into a large, wide, chilled bowl. Nest the meringues close together on the top, floating them in the crème anglaise.
• To make the caramel, heat the sugar and water in a skillet, swirling it as little as possible, if necessary, so it cooks evenly, until it turns a medium amber color. Turn off the heat and use a spoon to drizzle the caramel over the meringues.

OEUFS A LA NEIGE (SNOW EGGS)

Steps:

• Put the milk and cream in a skillet and add six tablespoons of the sugar. Bring to the simmer, stirring, and let simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Add the vanilla and blend.
• Beat the egg whites until they are almost stiff. Sprinkle with six more tablespoons of sugar and the salt and continue beating until the mixture is quite stiff.
• Using two large spoons, mold the meringue into oval shapes and spoon the ovals on top of the simmering milk. Make a few at a time for a total of 10 or more. Cook about 30 to 40 seconds on one side and carefully turn to cook on the second side. Cook 30 to 40 seconds on the second side and remove the ovals. Drain on absorbent paper towels. Continue until all the meringue has been shaped into ovals and cooked.
• Strain the milk.
• Put the egg yolks in a saucepan. Beat the egg yolks until they are light and lemon- colored and pour in the strained milk. Put the saucepan on the heat and simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard coats the spoon. When the spoon is coated, remove the custard immediately from the heat and strain it into a wide serving dish large enough to hold the meringue ovals in one layer.
• Meanwhile, combine the remaining sugar with the water in a heavy saucepan. Cook until the sugar becomes caramel-colored and then dark amber in color. Take care not to burn it.
• Before the caramel sets, pour it in a thin thread on top of the oval meringues. Serve the meringues in round-bottom dessert dishes with the custard on the bottom of each.

OEUFS A LA NEIGE

Steps:

• Put the milk in a large saucepan and add 6 tablespoons of the sugar and vanilla. Bring to a simmer, stirring.
• Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until they are almost stiff. Sprinkle with 6 tablespoons of sugar and salt and continue beating until the mixture is quite stiff.
• Using two large spoons, mold the meringue into oval shapes and slide them onto the top of the simmering milk. Make a few at a time, until there are 12. Cook about 30 to 40 seconds on one side and carefully turn to cook on the second side. Cook 30 to 40 seconds on the second side and remove. Drain on paper towels. Continue until all the meringue has been cooked.
• Strain the milk.
• Put the egg yolks in a saucepan and beat them until they are light and lemon colored. Gradually add the milk to the yolks, beating constantly. Use a wooden spoon and stir constantly over low heat, making certain that the spoon touches all over the bottom of the saucepan. Cook, stirring, until the mixture has a custardlike consistency and coats the sides of the spoon. Do not let the sauce boil or it will curdle.
• Immediately remove the sauce from the stove and continue stirring. Let the sauce cool to room temperature, then ladle over the meringue.

OEUFS A LA NEIGE

Steps:

• For the meringue: Heat 1-inch water in a 4-quart saucepan, covered, over high heat until it simmers, about 8 minutes. Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer.
• Combine the sugar and whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and set over the simmering water. Whisk continually until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture lightens in color, doubles in volume, and reaches 140 degrees F, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Place the bowl on the stand mixer and, using the whisk attachment, whisk on high until stiff peaks form and the meringue has cooled slightly, approximately 7 minutes. Set aside.
• To form and cook the oeufs: Place the milk, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and vanilla bean into a 2-quart saucier, cover, and set over high heat. Bring the mixture just to a simmer, approximately 5 minutes. Uncover, decrease the heat to low, and maintain a temperature of 180 to 190 degrees F.
• Use a 1-1/2 ounce disher to scoop the meringue, 4 at a time, into the milk, and poach for 3 minutes. Gently flip with a slotted spoon and cook until firm to the touch, another 3 minutes. Remove to a tea towel-lined half sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining meringue mixture, maintaining the temperature of the milk to make sure it does not boil. Hold the meringues at room temperature until ready to serve, or store in an airtight container over night. (Can be made a day ahead and stored, and kept covered in the refrigerator.) Decrease the heat to low and keep the milk warm in the pan.
• To finish the neige: Whisk together the egg yolks, kosher salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium mixing bowl until well combined and slightly lightened in color, approximately 2 minutes. Slowly add half of the milk mixture, whisking constantly. Return the entire mixture to the saucepan over low heat, and stir frequently with a spatula or wooden spoon until the sauce has thickened slightly and coats the back of the spatula or spoon, 8 to 9 minutes. You should be able to draw a line on the back of the utensil with your finger.
• Strain the sauce through the fine mesh strainer into a bowl set over an ice water bath and stir until chilled. (Can be made a day ahead and stored, covered in the refrigerator.)
• To serve: Spoon a small amount of sauce into the center of a shallow bowl and top with 2 oeufs. Sprinkle on pistachios, if desired.

OEUFS A LA NEIGE

Steps:

• 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.