Pavlova – an adventure in the Kitchen waiting to happen
The classic recipe:-
6 egg whites
250 gm caster sugar
1 tsp cornflour
1 tsp white whine vinegar
300ml double cream
100g Greek Yoghurt
350-500 g soft summer fruit – blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, kiwis etc
Use a sparkling clean metal or glass mixing bowl – any grease traces on it will ruin your work. All instructions are discussed below. Now start ot beat your eggs up.
Your lined baking tray will house your “meringue” mix and it is up to you whether you have it flat on top or create a nest shape for your double cream and fruits to go in later. Read on and enjoy your dessert when it is ready.
Reducing the amount of sugar makes the base less stable but lighter and fluffier. Larousse Gastronomique recommends less but some cooks recommend more. You can learn by cooking more than one pavlova and see what suits you. 250 gms sugar for four whites is generally regarded as producing the best results.
Do not add any sugar to your egg whites until they form stiff peaks and add it one dessertspoon at a time mixing it in fully. When you have finished adding the sugar, you should be able to turn the bowl upside down and the mixture should be in stiff white peaks in the bowl.
A difference between pavlova and meringue is that pavlova is still gooey and chewy in the middle and meringue is not. The white wine vinegar and cornflour in pavlova give it its soft and chewy style.
A nest shape is ideal for baking. As a result of creating this you have lots of space for your filling when your pavlova nest is cooked.
Egg whites are 90% water. You need a hot oven. You need your mixture to start evaporating without discolouring. You can even keep your oven door propped open using a wooden spoon. The base is ready when it can be cleanly lifted from the baking parchment. Roughly 1 and a half hours at 120 is the average cooking time.
When you have your meringue base do not despair if it has cracks in it. You can use the whipped cream to repair the damage.
If the fresh fruit is not available, use supermarket frozen fruit, You can fold it into the mound of cream as it can be watery and frozen and will not sit so well as fresh on your dish. Put all together at the last minute for best results to avoid causing the meringue to droop. For picnics, wrap the base in tin foil and assemble at picnic venue. There are many twists on this dish. Nigella Lawson includes coffee, others include pistachios. Do some research on the internet before you come up with your final plan.
Bon Appetit.
Penny Nair Price