Chewy Meringue Recipe James Martin Food

ULTIMATE MERINGUE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 110C/ 100C fan/gas ¼.
• Line 2 baking sheets with non-stick liner or parchment paper (meringue can stick on greaseproof paper and foil).
• Tip 4 large egg whites into a large clean mixing bowl (not plastic). Beat them on medium speed with an electric hand whisk until the mixture resembles a fluffy cloud and stands up in stiff peaks when the blades are lifted.
• Now turn the speed up and start to add 115g caster sugar, a dessertspoonful at a time. Continue beating for 3-4 seconds between each addition. It's important to add the sugar slowly at this stage as it helps prevent the meringue from weeping later. However, don't over-beat. When ready, the mixture should be thick and glossy.
• Sift one third of the 115g icing sugar over the mixture, then gently fold it in with a big metal spoon or rubber spatula. Continue to sift and fold in the remaining icing sugar a third at a time. Again, don't over-mix. The mixture should now look smooth and billowy.
• Scoop up a heaped dessertspoonful of the mixture. Using another dessertspoon, ease it on to the baking sheet to make an oval shape. Or just drop them in rough rounds, if you prefer.
• Bake for 1 ½-1 ¾ hours in a fan oven, 1 ¼ hours in a conventional or gas oven, until the meringues sound crisp when tapped underneath and are a pale coffee colour.
• Leave to cool on the trays or a cooling rack. (The meringues will now keep in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for a month.) Serve two meringues sandwiched together with a generous dollop of softly whipped double cream.

CRISP CHEWY MERINGUES

Steps:

• Using a whisk or electric mixer, whip the egg whites and salt into peaks. Add the vanilla, and continue beating to stiff peaks.
• Stir the cream of tartar into the regular sugar and whisk into the whites very gradually, a spoonful at a time, until the meringue is stiff and the sugar has dissolved.
• Sift together the icing sugar and cornstarch. Sift over the meringue and gently fold until fully incorporated.
• Pipe or spoon the meringues onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 225 degrees F/110 degrees C until cream-coloured and crisp on top when tapped, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove the meringues from the oven. Cool on the trays. Store in an air-tight container.

CHEWY MARBLED MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 120C.
• Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
• Using electric beater whisk egg whites and salt till soft peaks form.
• Gradually add sugar, a spoonful at a time.
• Whisk between each addition until combined.
• Continue to whisk for 2 minutes until thick and glossy and all sugar dissolved.
• Divide mix i half.
• Sprinkle 3 or 4 drops food colouring into one batch.
• Fold through the mix with metal spoon until colouring is just streaked through mix.
• Repeat with second batch and second colour.
• Use 2 teaspoons to spoon mix onto tray to form meringues.
• Place on oven, reduce temp to 90 C, bake for 1 hour.
• Turn off oven and allow meringues to cool in oven.

JAMES MARTIN - MANGO PARFAIT & MERINGUE STACKS

Steps:

• For the mango parfait, place the egg yolks, water and half the sugar into a saucepan and whisk to combine. Place over a low heat and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for about ten minutes, until the mixture thickens.
• Remove from the heat and pour into a mixing bowl. Whisk until the mixture cools and is light and fluffy.
• Meanwhile, place the mango flesh into a blender and blend until smooth. Pass through a sieve into a bowl.
• Add the cream to the mango mixture and whisk until the mixture forms soft peaks when the whisk is removed. Fold in the cooled egg yolk mixture.
• Place the egg whites into a bowl and whisk until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed. Gradually add the remaining caster sugar, continuing to whisk until stiff and glossy.
• Fold the egg white mixture into the cream mixture until well combined.
• Spoon the mixture into six individual pudding moulds lined with cling film. Place into the freezer for 1-2 hours until completely firm.
• Preheat the oven to 100C/200F/Gas ¾.
• For the meringue stack, place the egg whites into a bowl and whisk until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed.
• Gradually add the sugar and continue to whisk until stiff and glossy.
• Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a small plain nozzle. Draw 18 7.5cm/3in diameter circles onto baking parchment and place onto a baking sheet.
• Pipe the meringue in a spiral to fill each circle.
• Transfer to the oven and cook for 20 minutes, then turn the oven off but leave the meringues in there for at least two hours. When crisp, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
• Remove the parfait from the freezer five minutes before serving.
• To serve, place a meringue disc onto each of six serving plates. Spread a little whipped cream over them, then drizzle with the passion fruit flesh. Top with another meringue and the remaining cream and passion fruit, then finish with a third meringue.
• Turn the parfaits out onto the plates with the meringues. Dust the meringue stacks with icing sugar and top with a few mango slices.