Sugar-Cured Egg Yolk in a Meringue Cloud
Serves 4
This recipe, which uses just four ingredients, is a study in simplicity, elegance and textures. It is adapted from Nadine Levy Redzepi’s (yes, the Noma chef’s wife) new cookbook, “Downtime: Deliciousness at Home.” If you are concerned about using not fully cooked eggs, Redzepi recommends buying pasteurized eggs.
4 large eggs 1¼ cups granulated sugar, divided 1 cup heavy cream Freeze-dried raspberries to garnish Instructions:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Separate 2 of the eggs, collecting the whites in a medium bowl and setting the yolks aside in another bowl. Cover the yolks and refrigerate. (Be sure not to get even a drop of yolk in the whites or they won’t beat properly. Use the edge of a broken shell to scoop out any stray yolk.)
Add about 1 inch hot water to a large bowl. Place the bowl of egg whites in the water and stir just until the whites lose their chill (use your finger to check), about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites until they are very foamy. Now, gradually add ½ cup of the sugar and beat until the meringue forms soft, shiny peaks and sticks to the sides of the bowl. (Do not overbeat the meringue. If it starts to look grainy or separated, throw it out and start over.)
Using a spoon, spread the meringue into a layer about ¼-inch thick on the prepared baking sheet. It is going to be crumbled later, so it doesn’t need to be even or smooth. Bake the meringue until crisp, 1½ to 2 hours. Turn off the oven, prop the oven door slightly ajar with a wooden spoon, and let the meringue cool completely on the baking sheet. (The meringue will be slightly soft when you turn off the oven but will crisp as it cools.)
About 2 hours before serving, bring 1 quart water and ¼ cup of the sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and pour the liquid into a heat-proof bowl. Separate the remaining 2 eggs, putting the whites in a clean medium bowl. Carefully add the yolks, as well as the 2 refrigerated yolks, to the hot syrup. Let them stand in the syrup for 1½ to 2 hours at room temperature.
To serve, whip the remaining egg whites with a whisk or an electric mixer on high speed until they form soft peaks. Gradually add the remaining ½ cup sugar and continue whipping until the meringue forms stiff, glossy peaks and sticks to the sides of the bowl. Once again, be careful not to overbeat the whites.
Coarsely crumble the baked meringues into 4 serving bowls. Add a dollop of soft meringue to each bowl, mounding it lightly. Using the back of a spoon, make a small indentation in each mound. Carefully cup your hand and scoop out one yolk at a time, letting the syrup drip back into the bowl, then adding a yolk to each indentation. Divide the cream among the bowls, pouring it around but not over the soft meringue. Use your fingers to crush the dried raspberries to a coarse powder and sprinkle it over the yolks. Serve immediately.