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Friday, 29 July 2011

Pavlova

Pavlova by MrsNightingalesSecretSpeakeasy
Pavlova, a photo by MrsNightingalesSecretSpeakeasy on Flickr.
Chewy slow baked meringue with lemon cream and roasted rhubarb


Roasted  Rhubarb and Lemon Cream Pavlova served with a Ginger Prosecco Cocktail
Firstly, roast some chopped rhubarb. Lay it on a baking tray and sprinkle with a generous amount of brown sugar. Pop into a preheated oven at 200C for 15 minutes. The rhubarb should not be overly sweet as the Pavlova and the lemon cream are sugary, and the sharpness and slightly sour quality of rhubarb is needed to cut through the sweetness.  Meringues are easy – never let anyone tell you otherwise. Personally I don’t bother with recommended tricks such as adding Cream of Tartar or white vinegar into the whipped egg white and sugar. The best tip is to ensure your whisks and bowl are totally free of grease (wash beforehand in very hot water) as any trace of fat will give you flaccid meringues. For an 8” Pavlova, you’ll need 3 egg whites and 55g of castor sugar per egg. Whisk the egg whites on slow speed for 2 minutes, then pump up the power for another minute until the mixture is light and fluffy and forming peaks. Gradually introduce the sugar, one tablespoon at a time as you continue to whisk. Place onto a baking sheet and cook at 140C for one hour. Then leave in the oven overnight (this will prevent cracking)


Next day:
Whip the cream, then add a couple of tablespoons of lemon curd and combine well. You can use the leftover yolks to make your own, but when short of time, I just use a good quality shop bought curd.  Assemble, stand back and admire, then tuck in with gusto.

Ingredients:
3 egg whites
6 oz castor sugar
2 tablespoons lemon curd
300ml whipping cream
A couple of sticks of rhubarb
Brown sugar

As a final flourish, enjoy a Ginger Prosecco cocktail with your pudding. This is a slightly sour cocktail, but a perfect partner to sweet Pavlova. Muddle some chopped ginger, approximately 1” of fresh root, a spoonful of castor sugar and the juice of one lemon (muddling is apparently Cocktail Mixology lingo; I bung it in a pestle and mortar and bash it about). Strain this into a glass and top with Prosecco, or if feeling ultra decadent, champagne. Serve with a sliver of root ginger to decorate the glass.
Ingredients:
Fresh root ginger
Sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
Prosecco

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