Floating Ireland

A tabble dote is different from orderin' aller cart:

In one case you git all ther is, in t' other, only part!

And Casey's tabble dote began in French, -as all begin,-

And Casey's ended with the same, which is to say, with "vin";

But in between wuz every kind of reptile. bird, 'nd beast,

The same like you can git in high-toned restauraws down East;

"Nd windin' up wuz cake or pie, with coffee demy tass,

Or, sometimes, floatin' Ireland in a soothin' kind of sass

That left a sort of pleasant ticklin' in a feller's throat,

'Nd made him a hanker after more of Casey's tabble dote.

A Floating Ireland is the same recipe as the Floating Island, and one can only imagine why Casey claimed the recipe as his own. In researching the history, I found that it was Julia Child’s favorite dessert, which might explain why Barbara Finn used it at the Gold Hill Inn in the early days. Many countries have a variation, and some attribute the concept to the French, but in my imagination, it is quintessentially Irish.

For the sake of clarity, I have taken the liberty of editing the recipe from the Gold Hill Inn cookbook.

Separate 4 eggs and beat the whites with a pinch of salt to a stiff froth.

Gradually add ½ Cup powdered sugar and continue beating to stiff peaks.

Bring 2 Cups of milk to a simmer in a shallow pan and drop an amount of the egg white the size of an egg into the milk. Turn after 1 ½ minutes and cook 2 minutes more.

Remove the balls with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.

Strain the milk and add more to make it 2 Cups of milk.

Beat the egg yolk, add ¼ Cup sugar, 1/8 tsp. salt and then add the hot milk slowly so the egg doesn’t curdle.

Cook over boiling water until thick.

Cool and add 1 tsp vanilla. Put in a glass bowl and float meringues on top nicely arranged. Any fresh fruit may be put under the custard for added flavor. You can also pour into individual bowls with one meringue in each. Garnish with caramel or fresh berries. Top with crushed pistachios or slivered almonds.