British Strawberries were particularly good in the summer of 2006 when this recipe was published in my Sunday Mercury column. This well-known dessert gets its name a Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, who toured New Zealand and Australia in 1926 as part of her world tour. As is often the case in defining a recipe’s history you find claim and counter claim about where and who invented this dessert……..some say Australia and some say New Zealand, but I’m persuaded by the fact that the first know recipe for this dessert was published in a rural magazine called The New Zealand Dairy Annual in 1929. Historically, the name has been used to describe three distinct desserts: a four-layered jelly cake (the first to bear the name which did come from Australia and which is no longer baked); a coffee flavoured meringue; and the pavlova as understood today, a fluffy meringue that is crisp on the outside and soft in the middle.
Ingrediants
100g (4oz) Caster sugar
2 large egg whites
Pinch of salt
1tsp cornflour
˝ tsp White wine vinegar
125g (5oz) Mascarpone cheese
Juice and zest of 2 lemons
1 tsp Caster sugar
300g (12oz) Strawberries
Method
1. Preheat oven to gas mark 2 (300 F/150 C).
2. Lightly grease a large baking tray.
3. In a clean bowl whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form then add the salt.
4. Gradually whisk in the sugar a little at a time and keep whisking the meringue until it is stiff and glossy.
5. Now mix in the cornflour and the vinegar and whisk for a further 2-3 minutes.
6. Tear a piece of baking parchment the same size as the baking tray.
7. Use a pencil and draw four three-inch circles onto the parchment.
8. Lay the parchment pencil side down onto the greased baking tray and smooth it down.
9. With a large kitchen spoon fill the four circles with the whiped meringue using the circles as a guideline.
10. Once your happy with the shape of the meringues make a slight dent in the centre of each one.
11. Bake on the middle shelf for 45 minutes then turn down the oven to gas mark 1 (275 F/135C)and bake for a further 15 minutes then remove from the oven.
12. In a small stainless steel saucepan combine the lemon zest and juice with the teaspoon of sugar.
13. Bring to a simmer, allow the volume to reduce by half and then cool in the fridge.
14. When the lemon mix is cool stir the mascarpone in gradually.
To Serve
Put a few cut strawberries into each meringue, then top with a good dollop of mascarpone cheese then more strawberries and enjoy.
Chef’s Tip
Don’t fill the meringues up until the last minute or they will get too soggy.
they wont be british fruit yet