Pavlova

Friends of ours who live in the grounds of Duras Chateau very kindly hosted a big charity lunch yesterday, my contribution was a raspberry Pavlova. The day raised hundred of Euros & the weather was perfect. There was over 130 guests attending & a fantastic jazz band.

I wanted to share a few tips on how to make the perfect Pavlova. I am lucky enough to have a Aga cooker which makes fabulous meringues, however any oven will do the job almost as well.

Serves 8

I use room temperature eggs separate the whites & save the yolks ( use for lemon curd or creme brulee). Place 6 egg whites into a scrupulously clean bowl ( I use my Kenwood mixer for speed) add 2 Tbsp of caster sugar per egg white, here I used 12 Tbsp. Mix on a medium speed till the whites become stiff meringue & you can turn upside down & it won't move. Spoon onto a baking sheet lined with Parchment paper or a silicon liner shape into a round, hollow the centre a little. Place in your oven on the lowest setting you can, leave for 3 hours till it is completely dry. You can switch the oven off & leave in the oven overnight. When the Pavlova is cool top with double cream & fruit of choice, decorate with mint leaves.