Floating island with tapioca creme anglaise

To make the floating island:
Preheat the oven to 150ºC.
Grease a medium-sized, ovenproof mould with the butter or cooking spray, and set aside. Using an electric beater, beat the egg whites until frothy.
Add the cream of tartar and sugar, and beat until stiff and shiny. Transfer the mixture to the mould.
Grease a piece of baking paper and use to cover the meringue mixture. Place the mould in a deep ovenproof dish, transfer to the oven and fill the dish with water, until it reaches halfway up the mould.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until the meringue has puffed slightly over the lip of the mould. Transfer to a cooling rack and leave in the container to cool.

To make the tapioca:
Place the tapioca, milk, cream and sugar in a saucepan, and cook over a gentle heat, until soft and translucent.

To make the crème anglaise:
Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar, then set aside. Heat the milk, cream and vanilla seeds over a medium heat, until lightly warmed.
Add the creamy milk mixture to the sugary egg mixture then pour the new mixture back into the pan and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon.

To assemble and serve:
Add the tapioca mixture to the crème anglaise and stir through. To serve, pour the tapioca crème anglaise into a deep serving bowl. Remove the fl oating island from the mould and place in the middle of the serving bowl.
Garnish with an edible flower such as poppy or nasturtium, dusted with icing sugar.

Cook’s tip: The meringue can be refrigerated in the mould for up to one day.

Per serving: 2742 kJ, 12 g protein, 33.6 g fat, 78.1 g carbs

TASTE’s take:
In a froth about dessert? Dip your spoon into these dissolving clouds, airborne peaks, which, in the same way that sheer summer dresses flounce weightless on the air, dissolve effortlessly on the tongue.