Ingredients
- 6 egg whites
- 1 1/2 cups caster sugar
- 2 tsp corn flour
- 1 tsp vinegar or verjus
- Topping, shaved almonds enough to your liking, and dehydrated pear, 600mls of thickened cream - whipped
Method
1. Turn your oven on to preheat at 150 degrees C for 20 minutes. I do the same temperature in a fan forced oven and a conventional oven.
2. Line a 30 cm wide baking tray with baking paper, roughly gauge with your eyes a 20cm circle and keep that thought. Set the tray aside.
3. Separate the white and the yolks, making sure that there is no yolk and definitely no shell in the whites.
**Keep yokes to make an incredible frittata, or mayonnaise from scratch.
4. In a stand mixer which bowl is bone dry, whisk the egg whites until they start to hold, are firm but not too rigid yet, this is important, then gradually add the caster sugar a spoonful at a time to make sure it has worked in with the whites, after around 8 minutes turn the mixer down to a steady but slow speed and add in the sifted corn flour.
5. Give the mix another 3 mins then slowly and gently add the vinegar which will make the pavlova glossy and beautiful.
**Don't over mix here, however when your mixers hold the meringue in a firm peak you know you are done. The meringue should feel heavy set when spreading on the baking paper. It should hold its shape. It may be tough to wrangle so to keep the baking paper in place, put a drop of meringue on the baking paper to hold onto the tray.
6. Spread the meringue on to the baking paper, don't be too precious about the size or shape but ensure that the sides have been turned upwards with a palette knife or the back of a spoon from the base to form a lovely shape and look.
**Again not essential as the pavlova will be covered with cream and your choice of filling.
7. Place meringue in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 110 degrees fan or conventional and bake for 45-50 mins, depending on your oven keep an eye on the colour or the pavlova.
8. When done, turn the oven off. Prise the door open every so slightly with an oven mitt and let the pavlova cool in the oven completely. I can guarantee you that the top WILL crack, this is perfect and exactly what you want.
