The Île Flottante: Its History and How Chefs Have Reimagined It
Easy to make, the île flottante is the quintessential brasserie dessert, just like profiteroles or chocolate mousse. We love it for its comforting flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture. Gault&Millau tells its story.
A cloud of whipped egg whites resting on a pool of custard, a drizzle of caramel, a few slivered almonds: the île flottante has all the charm of childhood desserts. An icon of French cuisine, it can be found on the chalkboards of brasseries as well as on the menus of fine-dining restaurants.
A17th-Century Recipe
The first documented references to the île flottante date back to the17th century. The chef François Pierre de La Varenne provided the recipe in his book *Le Cuisinier françois*, published in 1651: sweetened egg whites, steamed and served with custard. These fundamentals remain unchanged today for a dessert made equally by pastry chefs and cooks.
Île flottante or œufs à la neige?
Both names refer to very similar desserts. For “œufs à la neige,” the egg whites are shaped into small quenelles and poached in milk. For “île flottante,” they form a single large dome, cooked in a double boiler or in the oven. Popular in many countries, the dessert is also known as “floating island.” Today, it comes in a variety of versions: with slivered, caramelized almonds for crunch, a runny caramel sauce, or even fruit.
When Chefs Reinvent It
At Fouquet’s Paris, Anthony Coquereau has made it a family affair: “It’s my little brother’s favorite dessert; I ate a lot of it when I was a kid. ” His light custard, made with egg whites, is served with Mexican vanilla caramel and caramelized almonds. At La Coupole, the île flottante stays true to the brasserie spirit: a generous dome, runny salted butter caramel, and a handful of slivered almonds.
Others stray further from the classic. At La Colline du Colombier, Léo Troisgros pairs it with ginger sorbet and tart fruits sliced into thin rounds, “ in the style of Matisse,” transforming the île flottante into an “île coulante.” In Nîmes, at La Pie qui Couette, Emmanuel Leblay bakes the egg whites in the oven to give them a light crust. And in New York, Antoine Jardin—who trained at the Ritz Paris—offers a chocolate-and-verbena version shaped like a leaf. We can’t get enough of it!
Where can you find a good île flottante?
From Parisian brasseries to top-tier restaurants, our reviewers have tasted the versions worth seeking out. Check out our selection of the best îles flottantes in France.
