Best Ginger Cardamom Oeufs à La Neige Recipes

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.

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.

OEUFS A LA NEIGE AU CHOCOLAT (FLOATING ISLAND WITH CHOCOLATE)

Steps:

• Separate the eggs. Combine the yolks with 2/3 cup sugar. Beat until the yolks are very thick.
• Heat the milk to just below boiling. Add vanilla. Whisk the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, stirring continuously. Place the mixture in the top of a double boiler, over but not in boiling water, and continue whisking until the mixture reaches approximately 180 degrees.
• Place in the refrigerator to cool.
• Beat the egg whites with about 1/4 cup sugar until very stiff.
• Fill two pans with water and place over high heat. Bring to a high simmer but not a boil. Lower the heat and, with a soup spoon, make little snowballs (about 15 or 16) from the egg whites. Poach each snowball in water - with two pans they can be done in two batches. The water must never boil. The egg-white balls should poach approximately 3 minutes on each side. Turn them with a fork.
• Drain the egg-white snowballs on a cake rack set over a bowl so any water will drain into the bowl.
• Place the snowballs on top of the cold custard. At the last minute melt the chocolate in a double boiler, over but not in boiling water, adding a little water, 2 to 3 tablespoons, to thin the chocolate. If there is a delay and the chocolate mixture thickens, reheat it, adding more water.
• When ready to serve, pour the chocolate mixture into a warm pitcher and pass to pour over the poached meringues and custard.

GINGER CARDAMOM OEUFS à LA NEIGE

Steps:

• Line bottom of a small 4-sided sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Separate 2 eggs; put yolks in a large bowl and whites in another. Add whole egg to yolks.
• Beat whites with a pinch of salt using an electric mixer until they hold soft peaks. Add 1/2 cup sugar in a slow stream, beating at medium-high speed until whites hold stiff, glossy peaks.
• Meanwhile, bring milk to a bare simmer with ginger and cardamom in a wide 4-quart heavy pot over medium heat.
• Drop 4 large dollops of beaten whites into milk and poach at a bare simmer, turning once, 4 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to lined pan (reserve milk).
• Whisk remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, cornstarch, and salt into yolk mixture. Add hot milk in a slow stream, whisking until incorporated, then return to pot. Cook, stirring often, until thickened and an instant-read thermometer registers 170°F. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Stir in vanilla.
• Quick-chill custard by setting bowl in an ice bath and stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Ladle into 4 bowls and put a meringue in each. Sprinkle with nuts.