BLACKBERRY AND LEMON PAVLOVA

I first had pavlova in South Africa, made with banana and mango – delicious. The original pavlova is said to have been invented to honour the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova in New Zealand or Australia (both countries claim the honour) and contained pineapple and passion fruit. Certainly, any fruit at all works.

Serves 6

For the meringue l 3 large egg whites l 240g (8¾oz) caster sugar l 10g (¼oz) cornflour l 1½tsp white wine vinegar For the lemon curd l 1 large egg l Juice of 1 lemon l 40g (1½oz) caster sugar l 35g (1¼oz) unsalted butter,

at room temperature

For the blackberry compote l 500g (1lb 2oz) blackberries l 3tbsp caster sugar

For the cream layer l 400ml (14fl oz)

double cream l 2tbsp limoncello l Candied lemon peel, to

garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 120°C/fan 100°C/gas ½. Line a baking tray with baking parchment.

Start by making the meringue. Put the egg whites, caster sugar and cornflour in a clean bowl and whisk with an electric mixer on medium speed. Meanwhile, bring 2tbsp water and the white wine vinegar to the boil in the smallest pan you have. Tip the boiling liquid onto the mixing whites, then increase the speed and whisk for 10-15 minutes, until the meringue is thick and glossy and forms stiff peaks when the whisk is lifted.

Tip the meringue onto the lined baking sheet and use the back of a spoon to spread it out into a circle roughly 23cm across, thinner in the middle, and thicker around the rim. Bake in the middle of the oven for 1 hour, or until it feels set and dry. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the sheet.

To make the lemon curd, break the egg into a small saucepan and whisk until the yolk and white are evenly combined, then add all the other ingredients to the pan and set over a medium heat. Stir briskly as the butter melts and the curd comes to the boil, then immediately remove from the heat – by this time it will be thickened. Pass through a fine sieve.

To make the blackberry compote, put a third of the blackberries and all the sugar in a small saucepan with a tiny splash of water. Use a fork to mash the berries, then set it over a medium heat and, stirring frequently, bring it to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the compote is syrupy and the blackberries have all broken down completely. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool.

Whisk the double cream in a bowl until it is thickened enough to just hold its shape – be careful not to over-whip it. Add the limoncello to taste – you may prefer more or less than 2tbsp – and stir.

Spread a layer of the curd over the pavlova, then pile the whipped cream on top of it. Toss the remaining fresh blackberries in the blackberry compote, then spoon them all over the cream. Finally, garnish with thin strips of candied lemon peel (if using). Serve immediately.