Eton Mess Food

ETON MESS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 120C/100C fan/gas 1 and line a large baking tray with parchment paper. Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl using an electric whisk or tabletop mixer until they reach stiff peaks, then add the sugar in 3 lots, re-whisking to stiff peaks every time. Spoon dollops of the mixture onto the baking parchment, cook on the bottom shelf of the oven for 1hr - 1hr15 mins until the meringues are completely hard and come off the paper easily. Leave to cool.
• Blitz 1/3 of the strawberries to make a strawberry sauce. In a large bowl whisk the cream with the icing sugar until it just holds its shape. Roughly crush ¾ of the meringues and tip them in with the chopped strawberries and stir, then swirl through the strawberry sauce. Dollop into bowls then crush the remaining meringues, sprinkling the pieces over the top.

ETON MESS

Steps:

• Pour 2 packages of the raspberries, 1 cup of the sugar and the lemon juice into a 10-inch saute pan. Crush the berries lightly with a fork and bring the mixture to a full boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is syrupy. Fold the remaining 2 packages of raspberries and the framboise into the hot mixture and refrigerate until very cold.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream, the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar and the vanilla together on medium-high speed until it forms firm peaks.
• In decorative glasses, layer a spoonful of the whipped cream, a spoonful of the raspberry mixture and then a few meringue pieces. Repeat once or twice, depending on the size of the glasses, until the glasses are full, ending with berries and a dollop of cream. Serve immediately or chill for an hour, until ready to serve.

ETON MESS

Steps:

• Hull and chop the strawberries and put into a bowl and add the sugar and pomegranate juice and leave to macerate while you whip the cream.
• Whip the cream in a large bowl until thick but still soft. Roughly crumble in 4 of the meringues nests - you will need chunks for texture as well as a little fine dust.
• Take out about half a cupful of the chopped strawberries, and fold the meringue cream and rest of the fruit mixture together.
• Arrange on 4 serving plates or glasses or in a mound, and top each with some of the remaining macerated strawberries.