Molotof — Portuguese egg white pudding with caramel

Have a smooth metal tube pan measuring 20 cm across with a capacity of about 2 liters ready, along with a deep roasting pan that comfortably holds it. The bowl and mixer attachments for the whites must be clean, dry and grease-free. Take the whites out of the refrigerator while you prepare the caramel. Preheat the oven to 180°C with top and bottom heat.

Put 80 g sugar and 40 g water into a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, then boil without stirring with a spoon for about 5–8 minutes, until amber. Pour all the caramel into the tube pan and carefully tilt it to coat the base, sides and central tube. Hold the pan with oven mitts; the caramel is very hot. Set aside; do not add any fat.

Pour 240 g pasteurized egg whites into the prepared bowl. Beat with a mixer, first at medium speed and then faster, until a thick white foam with soft peaks forms. Do not add caramel or water at this stage. Scrape the liquid whites from the sides of the bowl with a spatula so the entire amount is whipped.

Add 120 g fine sugar a spoonful at a time, beating continuously. After the last addition, beat for a few more minutes until the foam is thick and glossy and forms stiff peaks. The sugar should feel almost undetectable when a little foam is rubbed between your fingers. Do not stop beating while the mixture is still thin or runs easily off the attachments.

Spoon all the foam into the caramel-coated pan in portions, pressing it against the sides and central tube with a spatula to reduce large gaps. Level the top and gently tap the pan on a folded towel. Set it in the deep roasting pan and pour hot water into the roasting pan to about halfway up the tube pan. This water is only for the water bath and does not go into the dessert; leave room above the foam for it to rise.

Carefully place the roasting pan with the tube pan on the middle oven rack. Bake for about 15–18 minutes at 180°C until the top turns lightly golden and the foam's surface is set. Switch off the oven, leave the door ajar and let the dessert rest inside for 45 minutes. Do not take it out abruptly straight after baking; it may naturally sink a little as it cools.

Lift the tube pan out of the water bath and set it on a rack for 15 minutes. Carefully loosen the edges along the sides and central tube with a thin knife. Place a large rimmed plate on top, hold both firmly and turn over. Scrape all the liquid caramel onto the plate. If the pudding does not release, briefly warm the outside base of the pan in warm water, without pouring water inside, and try again.

Leave the turned-out dessert to cool for about 30 minutes, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Divide the thoroughly chilled molotof into 6 portions and share all the caramel on the plate among them. Keep covered in the refrigerator and eat within 2 days. Do not add water to the sauce; the caramel released from the pan is enough.