Sciumette

“Sciumette” (“small foams” in Genoese dialect) are very light meringues that, instead of being baked, are boiled in milk and served floating over a delicate pistachio cream. They are the narrow sisters, probably the result of cross-border contamination, of the French (actually Provence) “Isles flottantes”, also known overseas as “Floating Islands”. I anticipate that after reading the recipe you will think it is too difficult to make because boiling stiffed white eggs in milk seems a pastry chef challenge. Well this is not, it’s so simple! The egg whites maintain their beautiful boat shape and swell slightly due to the heat. Just a few seconds and they are cooked, stable forever. The pistachio cream then is a piece of cake. The only warning is to never boil milk otherwise the eggs will create lumps. That’s it. Try it, they are very rewarding, and then let me know! If you feel confident you can also prepare a more fancy version and decorate it with a caramel net.