James Martin Italian Meringue Food

BASIC ITALIAN MERINGUE RECIPE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water. Heat over high heat, stirring only until it comes to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, stop stirring. Cook until sugar syrup registers 240°F (115°C) on an instant-read or candy thermometer. Brush down sides of pot as necessary with a pastry brush dipped in water.
• Meanwhile, combine egg whites and cream of tartar or lemon juice in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (see note). Set mixer to medium speed and mix until soft peaks form (when lifted, the head of the mixer should form gentle peaks in the egg whites that very slowly collapse back into themselves), about 2 minutes.
• With the mixer running, carefully and slowly drizzle in hot sugar syrup. (Hot sugar is just as dangerous as fryer oil, so use caution!) Increase speed to high and whip until desired stiffness is achieved. Soft peaks are often used to aerate mousses, for example, while a stiff peak is best for buttercream.

ITALIAN MERINGUE BUTTER CREAM

Steps:

• Boil 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water over medium heat until it reaches 245o F or the firm ball stage. Never leave the kitchen when you are cooking sugar, and be stingy with your time spent away from the stovetop. It is very important that you watch it or it may burn. Another thing to do is to swirl the syrup. Don't stir it or whisk it, just gently swirl the pan by the handle to ensure that the sugar crystals are evenly distributed and dissolved
• While the sugar is cooking, pour the egg whites into the bowl you plan to whip the icing in, then wait for the syrup to come to about 230F-235F. Whip egg whites with a wire whisk in a stand up mixer on high until soft peaks form. About 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle in 1/4 cup sugar. Beat
• Slowly pour the hot syrup into the meringue steadily with the mixer still on high.
• Beat the frosting for 7-10 minutes until the outside of the bowl is room temperature
• During this time fill the pot the syrup cooked in with water and bring it to a boil to remove the hardened sugar from the sides. Toss in the candy thermometer too, while you're at it
• Beat in butter by the tablespoon using a medium speed. The butter will deflate the frosting a bit. After all of the butter is added, turn the speed up to high. The whole process will take about 10-15 minutes, but you will begin to see the buttercream go through stages after all of the butter is added. First it will deflate and become soupy, then thicken, then curdle, then thicken to the final stage. If, for some reason your buttercream does not progress from the "soupy" stage (typically due to adding the butter too quickly or the butter/meringue being too warm), simply place your work bowl in the fridge for 7-10 minutes before whipping again
• Add in desired flavourings Flavourings • Chocolate: 1/2 cup melted and cooled chocolate and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. • Coconut: 1 teaspoon coconut extract and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. • Coffee: 1 teaspoon espresso powder or 3-5 tablespoons strong coffee. • Also use jams to flavour buttercream, but be sure that they are quite thick as too much liquid will cause the buttercream to break down so be careful when adding jams and drop in about a tablespoon at a time
• Leftover buttercream may be kept in the refrigerator for a week or two or frozen, well wrapped, until needed. Just be sure to bring it to room temperature and whip well with a beater before using

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.