Vanilla Pavlova with Mevagissey Strawberries and Cornish Clotted Cream by Paul Ainsworth
| Serves: 8 | Chef: Paul Ainsworth | Occasion: Valentine's Day | Course: Dessert | Machine: Mixer | Total time (min.): 80 |
Light, chewy meringue topped with velvety clotted cream, locally sourced Cornish strawberries and dressed with a fresh strawberry coulis, Paul’s decadent vanilla pavlova is the perfect dessert to share with family, friends or even that special someone this Valentine’s Day.
Ingredients
For the meringue:
- 6 egg whites
- 330g caster sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp cornflour
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp vanilla seeds
To finish:
- 500g best quality strawberries top cut off and cut into halves
- 50g icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla seeds
- 250g tub Cornish clotted cream
- 8 mint leaves
- 1 lemon
- 1 lime
- Extra icing sugar for dusting
Tools
- Titanium Chef Baker Black
- MultiPro XL Weigh+
Method
For the meringue:
- Using your Kenwood kitchen machine, place the egg whites into the bowl with the vanilla seeds and, using the whisk attachment start to whisk the whites on a medium to high speed (number 7).
- When the egg whites are holding soft peaks, start to add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, making sure the sugar is fully mixed before adding more sugar.
- Your meringue should be shiny and glossy and holing a stiff peak after about 5 minutes of whisking. Now stop the machine on the slowest speed, fold through the sifted cornflour, then do the same with the lemon juice.
- Place the glossy meringue into piping bags using a 1 cm round nozzle and start to pipe even-sized domes onto baking paper, making sure to leave enough room between each dome as they will expand during baking. You should get 8 even domes of meringue with the mix made.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven 110c on a low fan speed for 55 minutes, once cooked turn the oven off and leave the meringues to cool in the oven as this will help dry the meringue shells and stop any cracking.
To serve:
- Place 200g of strawberries, vanilla seeds and 50g icing sugar into your Kenwood food processor and blitz until smooth, pass through a fine sieve and chill in the fridge.
- Mix some off your strawberry sauce through the remainder of the cut strawberries to bind them together and set aside, keep any remaining sauce/coulis for dressing.
- Take a meringue dome and gently cut the top off to expose the inside of the meringue.
- Place the meringue onto the plate and add a dollop of Cornish clotted cream into the centre of the meringue
- Place a heaped pile of strawberries on top of the clotted cream and light drizzle over some strawberry sauce/coulis
- Dust with a little icing sugar and finish with lemon and lime zest, and thinly cut mint leaves on top
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