How To Turn A Single Egg And Rescued Berries Into A Classic British Dessert

Just a azygous ovum achromatic tin beryllium transformed into capable elegant meringue shards to crown much than 4 servings of pudding, arsenic I discovered when, earlier this year, I was invited by Cole & Mason to travel up pinch a look to people London History Day and decided to do truthful by celebrating nan opening of nan Shard successful 2012. Meringue shards make a beautiful finishing touch to each kinds of desserts, from a rich | trifle to an avant-garde pavlova aliases that timeless classic, nan Eton mess. As for nan leftover yolk, I person respective recipes, including spaghetti carbonara (also featuring salt-cured ovum yolks that make a awesome replacement to parmesan) and brown banana curd.

One-egg meringue shards pinch an Eton messiness of strawberry, achromatic capsicum and basil

Architect Renzo Piano is said to person sketched his original thought for nan Shard connected nan backmost of a edifice napkin. Similarly, whenever I creation a much conceptual crockery specified arsenic this one, I emotion to commencement by drafting it successful my sketchbook, to create an thought of what nan crockery will look like, and while I was drafting nan angular lines of nan Shard, it reminded maine of a minimalist dessert I’d eaten astatine nan seminal AT edifice successful Paris that featured grey meringue shards that seemed to maine to perfectly emulate nan melodramatic geometry of that iconic London building.

But this crockery isn’t conscionable visually appealing. Black pepper, strawberries and basil are an unexpected yet classical combination: there’s herbaceous, saccharine and savoury complexity from nan basil, freshness from nan people saccharine strawberries and a popular of power from nan super-sweet achromatic capsicum meringue that adds an unexpected warmth that is past subdued by nan cream. If you’re fortunate capable to spot immoderate reduced-price berries successful nan supermarket, this is simply a awesome measurement to make usage of past-their-best strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and moreover blueberries.

Prep 20 min (plus resting time)
Cook 1 hr 30 min
Serves 4

For nan meringue shards
1 ovum white
37g caster sugar
37g icing sugar, sifted
¼ tsp pick of tartar (optional)
⅛ tsp freshly crushed achromatic pepper
A mini pinch of salt

For nan mess
200g ripe strawberries, aliases different berries
1 tbsp caster sugar, aliases to taste
Zest and juice of ¼ lemon
A fewer caller basil leaves
220ml clotted cream, aliases double pick whipped until stiff

Heat nan oven to 110C (90C fan)/gas ¾, and statement a ample baking tray pinch a silicone mat aliases unbleached baking paper. Crack nan ovum achromatic into a clean, grease-free vessel aliases jar. Add nan caster sugar, icing sugar, pick of tartar if using, and crushed achromatic pepper, past whisk pinch an electrical manus whisk aliases successful a guidelines mixer connected precocious velocity for 5 to 10 minutes, until nan operation forms very firm, glossy peaks.

Spoon nan meringue connected to nan lined baking tray, past soft it retired into a thin, moreover layer. Bake for astir an hr and a half, aliases until nan aboveground is crisp and barren to nan touch but hasn’t taken connected immoderate colour. Remove and time off to cool wholly connected nan tray, past assistance nan meringue disconnected nan insubstantial and threat it into long, jagged shards.

Meanwhile, hull nan strawberries and trim them into cubes. Finely portion nan basil leaves. Put some successful a bowl, adhd nan sugar, citrus zest and juice, and operation mildly but thoroughly. Cover and put successful nan fridge for astatine slightest an hour, though overnight would beryllium best.

Just earlier serving, bladed nan clotted pick pinch a small of nan strawberry juices from nan bottommost of nan bowl, being observant not to overmix it, aliases it will move buttery.

Spoon a generous dessertspoonful of nan pick into nan centre of each of 4 pudding bowls and dispersed it retired mildly pinch nan backmost of nan spoon to create a well. Fill nan good pinch a generous spoonful of nan macerated strawberries, past put immoderate meringue shards connected top, allowing them to thin and jut retired for illustration miniature crystalline towers, concealing immoderate of nan consequence beneath. Serve astatine once, crushing nan meringue into nan berries and pick arsenic you eat.