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.

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.

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.

CANDIED GINGER-CARDAMOM BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray. Blend flour, sugar, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt in processor. Add butter; using on/off turns, process until coarse meal forms. Add 2 tablespoons beaten egg; blend until moist crumbs form. Add ginger. Using on/off turns, process until moist clumps form. Press dough evenly over bottom of prepared pan. Brush remaining beaten egg over dough. Using small sharp knife, score top of dough with diagonal lines spaced 1 inch apart. Repeat in opposite direction, forming lattice pattern.
• Bake until pastry is golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool completely in pan. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)
• Cut pastry square into 3 long rectangles. Cut each rectangle crosswise into 8 rectangular bars, making 24 bars total.

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.