Rhubarb & Strawberry Pavlova
A celebration of UK strawberries and rhubarb; they are a winning combo. Their inherent tartness is a great foil to the sweetness of the pavlova - the rhubarb is purposefully left nice and sharp. The meringue should be crisp on the outside, and slightly fudgy and chewy in the middle. You can make the meringue ahead of time if you like; it will store for a couple of days if kept in an airtight container.
Cook's notes
This is easily made into an Eton mess by breaking the meringue into a bowl with the fruit and folding the cream in, too.
Ingredients
- 180g caster sugar
- 3 eggs whites
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 1 tsp cider vinegar
- 250g rhubarb
- 1 orange
- 300g strawberries
- 180ml double cream
Method
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Step 1
Preheat your oven to 120°C/Gas ½. Remove 2 tablespoons of sugar and keep it to one side for the rhubarb.
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Step 2
With an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until just stiff. Keep the motor running and gradually add the remaining sugar, a tablespoon at a time, whisking thoroughly after each addition, until it is smooth and glossy. Whisk in the cornflour and vinegar at the end.
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Step 3
Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Shape the meringue into a large, deep circle about 25cm in diameter. Place in the oven and leave for 1½ hours, until the meringue is firm to the touch. Turn the oven off and leave the meringue to cool completely in the oven.
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Step 4
Meanwhile, trim the rhubarb and cut it into 3cm pieces. Split any wide pieces in half, lengthways, so that all the pieces are a roughly even size. Pull the zest from the orange into long strips with a potato peeler. Juice the orange. Place the zest, juice, rhubarb and 2 tablespoons of sugar into a wide-based saucepan. Cover and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 5-6 mins, until the rhubarb is starting to soften but still holds its shape. Remove from the heat and leave it to cool with the lid on. The trick to avoiding cooking the rhubarb to mush is to let it finish in the declining heat of the pan. By the time it has cooled, the rhubarb should be just cooked.
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Step 5
When ready to serve, remove and discard the stalks from the strawberries. Roughly slice them and mix them with the rhubarb.
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Step 6
Place your cream in a clean bowl. Whisk it until it just forms pillowy, soft peaks and holds its shape.
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Step 7
Place the meringue on a large plate. Pile the cream on top, and then the fruit, artfully spooning any remaining liquid across the top.