Strawberry pavlova
Author: Helen Doyle
Serves: 12
Ingredients
- For the pavlova:
- 180g egg white
- 360g caster sugar
- 30g cornflour
- 10g white wine vinegar
- For the poached rhubarb:
- 500g English rhubarb
- 100g Demerara sugar
- For the strawberries:
- 525g strawberries
- 75g caster sugar
- For the pastry cream:
- 225ml whole milk
- 1 vanilla pod
- 54g egg yolk
- 45g caster sugar
- 12g plain flour
- 9g cornflour
- 29g butter
Method
- For the pavlova, in a food mixer, whisk egg whites to a stiff peak, gradually shower in the sugar, whisk until fully incorporated.
- Add cornflour and white wine vinegar and mix before turning the mixer down to No.2.
- Continue to mix for 5 mins on No.2 until the meringue is glossy and has increased in volume.
- Pipe the meringue into 12 rounds and bake at 100C/Gas½ (humidity 0%, fans 0) for approximately 1 hour, opening the door every 5 mins to release the build up of steam until they lift off the mat.
- It’s very important that you turn the fans off and take all the humidity out of the oven.
- For the poached rhubarb, chop the rhubarb and combine it and the sugar in a pan.
- Cook until it just starts to break down and the sugar is dissolved.
- Remove from the heat and chill.
- For the strawberries, cut 275g of the strawberries in half and quarter the other 250g.
- Sprinkle the sugar over.
- For the pastry cream, boil the milk with the vanilla pod in a pan.
- In a bowl, whisk together the yolks and sugar.
- Add the flour and cornflour to the egg yolks and then pour the boiled milk into the mix.
- Whisk together until combined.
- Put back on the heat and cook until it has thickened (make sure the flour is cooked out by tasting).
- Take off the heat and add the butter, stirring until it has melted.
- To serve, place the rhubarb in the centre of the plate.
- Top with the pavlova and add a dollop of pastry cream.
- Sit the strawberries on top.
