Recipe: Durian Ile Flottante

photo from Hunger Hunger

French people enjoy stinky foods. Between andoillette, camembert, munster, and the fact the no one on the subway wears deodorant, I’m not sure if they have any sense of smell left. They certainly shouldn’t mind the odor of durian.

I think this recipe, a combination of the stinkiest of fruits with a french dessert, is a perfect fit. Ile Flottante is a French dessert meaning “Floating Island.” It’s very similar to another French creation, œufs à la neige (“eggs in snow”), the only difference being that ile flottante usually includes alcohol-soaked dessert biscuits or cookies.

This recipe is alcohol-free, most likely because its creator, Teri from Hunger Hunger, is aware that durian and alcohol are not a good mix. In many counties in Asia, it is believed that drinking alcohol at the same time as eating durian is akin to swallowing tablets of TNT. There are reports of gluttonous drunkards whose stomachs have exploded after consuming such a mix.

Since many, usually young people, have experimented with the mixture and survived, some dismiss these reports as tall-tales and the stomach-exploding durian meals as a myth. However, recent scientific experiments have discovered that durian inhibits alcohol metabolism. If you do choose to add a light liquor, do so at your own risk.

photo from Hunger Hunger

Durian Ile Flottante (makes 4 large or 6 small puffs)
Recipe from: Hunger Hunger

Ingredients:

• 2 egg whites (medium sized eggs)
• 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
• 25 gm durian flesh (make sure it’s not a bitter durian)
• 1 cup plus 1/2 cup extra coconut or milk of your choice
• 2 tbsp (or more if like) white sugar
• Garnish: sprig of mint, sugar syrup and chopped toasted nuts

The Custard:

1. Press the durian flesh through a sieve to get a fine mash.
2. Heat the coconut milk until just about to boil (bubbles at the side of the pot). Cover and keep warm.
3. Put the egg yolks, 2 tbsp sugar and vanilla/durian flesh into a bowl.
4. Whisk until light.
5.  Add the cornstarch, whisk, and then add the warm milk, mixing well.
6. Put the custard mixture into a small saucepot and cook under low heat,
   stirring all the time, until sauce is thickened enough to coat the back
   of a spoon and will not merge after a finger is swiped through. Let
   cool and then chill. When chilled, if the custard tastes too rich and
   thick, add the extra regular milk to thin it out until it is the
   consistency of a soup that you’ll like. 

The Meringue Puffs:

1. Oven at 100 C/200 F. Line an oven tray or Swiss roll tray with aluminium foil.
2. Whisk the egg whites with the cream of tarter for 1 minute, then add the sugar and whisk until stiff peaks stage.
3. Using a large spoon, place dollops of the meringue on the prepared
   tray. Bake 15 minutes for a dinner  spoon-sized meringue, longer for
   bigger meringues. Switch oven off and leave the meringues in the oven
   while you prepare the serving bowls.

To serve, pour the creme through a sieve into a jelly mold, or just a mug or fancy glass.
Carefully place a meringue on top and garnish with the mint leaves,
chopped nuts and sugar syrup.

If anyone has an idea how to make this recipe vegan, please post below. Here’s a starter: vegan meringue cookies.