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A Summer Meringue with Ellie Bouhadana
Simple to make and beautifully sweet, a light meringue is the perfect complement to a long lunch with family and friends.
Ellie Bouhadana of Hope St Radio shares her recipe for a summer meringue topped with berries, cream and sweet peas to entertain and delight.
Summer Meringue with Berries, Cream and Sweet Peas
Serves 8
Ingredients
For the meringue
- 360gm egg whites
- 500gm caster sugar
- 2 tsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 2 tsp cornflour
For the topping
- 250ml thickened cream
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 2 punnets of seasonal berries (like strawberries, raspberries or blackberries)
- 200gm sugar snap peas in their shells, podded
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 vanilla bean
Method
For the meringue
- Preheat the oven to 110°C. Place a sheet of baking paper over a grid tray or over a normal baking tray if you do not have a grid tray.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Once stiff peaks have begun to form, add sugar one tablespoon at a time, making sure to beat well between each tablespoon. Repeat this process until 500gm of sugar is used up and continue whipping until the egg whites are glossy and stiff peaks have formed again.
- Add in the vinegar, cream of tartar and cornflour and whip again to combine. Turn the stand mixer off and test if the meringue is ready by taking a spoonful of it and holding it up. If the tip of the meringue holds its shape and doesn’t droop it is ready. If it sags and drops, keep beating in the stand mixer until ready.
- Spoon the mixture onto the baking paper-lined tray, creating a long log shape as you go. Use the whole mixture to build the meringue up. If you prefer, you can also make smaller meringues, but you will need to adjust the baking time.
- Place the meringue in the oven and bake for an hour and a half. When the meringue is ready, leave it to cool in the oven and do not open the oven for at least four hours or ideally, leave it to rest overnight.
To serve
- Place the cream in a stand mixer and begin whipping. Once the cream starts thickening, add sugar one tablespoon at a time, making sure to beat well between each addition. When the cream is thick but still loose with some movement it is ready.
- If using strawberries, slice them roughly. Place the berries and peas in a mixing bowl, cover with the sugar, lemon juice and vanilla bean and mix through. Let this mixture stand and macerate in a cool spot for at least half an hour.
- When you are ready to eat, top the meringue with the cream, followed by three quarters of the berries and peas. Slice the meringue into pieces and serve on individual plates with the rest of the berries on the side.
Meringue is beautiful. It is light and sweet and a nice way to end a long festive meal. I like serving it in the shape of a log—there’s a bit of drama when bringing it out and everyone can serve themselves.Ellie Bouhadana
