Have you ever had the dessert called "floating island"?!
Answers: Yes, it's French and is poached meringue in a pool of creme anglaise/custard - quite delicious. It even has caramelised sugar on top sometimes.
Floating Island
1 quart milk
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
8 eggs, separated
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sliced almonds
In a large, wide saucepan, bring the milk and vanilla bean to a simmer.
To make the meringues: In a mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 1/2 cup sugar and continue beating until stiff but not dry. Scoop up several large serving spoonfuls and poach on the simmering milk, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on serving plate. Repeat until all the egg whites have been used.
To make the creme Anglaise: in another large mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar until light and ribbon-y. Add the warm milk to the egg yolk mixture and return to the saucepan. Cook, over low heat, stirring constantly without letting it come to a boil, until mixture thickness and coats back of spoon. Strain and flavor with rum and vanilla extract. Ladle creme Anglaise around poached meringues.
To make the Caramel: in a small saucepan, cook the remaining 1 cup sugar until caramelized, stirring constantly. Stir in the almonds. Turn off heat, being careful not to burn the caramel. Carefully spoon caramel over the meringue.
Both of the first 2 reponces are correct, I am a former chef and have made it a few times, the only thing I found was when beating the egg whites into a meriange to poach, if you sweeten it with about 2/3's of a cup of icing/powdered sugar they keep there shape better, I always used the milk you poached the islands (4-5 minutes turning them with 2 tablespoons) then make the custard for the sauce, your best to strain out and little islands that may have broken off and are in the milk, the reheat it with the sugar and vanilla, mix some cornstarch to the egg yolks, and temper them make the sauce, now with caramelized sugar, his is an option even a bit choclate sauce rizzled over the island is enough of a colour contrast to make it more colourful.