CHOCOLATE PAVLOVA WITH ROASTED RHUBARB & CACAO NIB CREAM

Serves 6

● 150g (5½oz) dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids), finely chopped

● 4 large egg whites

● 200g (7oz) caster sugar

● ¼tsp fine sea salt

For the cacao nib cream

● 300ml (½pt) double cream

● 2tbsp cacao nibs (crushed cocoa beans), from larger supermarkets

For the rhubarb

● 250g (9oz) rhubarb, cut into thumb-sized pieces

● 40g (1½oz) caster sugar

Preheat the oven to 120°C/fan 100°C/gas ½. On a sheet of baking paper, mark out a circle roughly 20cm in diameter, using a plate as a guide. Place on a baking sheet and set aside.

Melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Remove the bowl from the pan and set aside to cool to room temperature.

In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Gradually add the sugar and salt, beating constantly until thick and glossy – it’s crucial that the mixture is very stiff.

Pour the cooled chocolate over the meringue – don’t stir or beat it in. Scoop the mixture into the circle on the baking paper to make a neat round, retaining some swirls of chocolate in the meringue. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until crisp on the outside.

To make the cacao nib cream, pour 120ml of the cream into a pan and add the cacao nibs. Bring almost to the boil, then remove the pan from the heat and set aside to infuse and cool.

When the meringue is cooked, remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Increase the oven temperature to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6.

Place the rhubarb in a baking dish, add the sugar and toss, then spread out in a single layer. Cover with foil and roast for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for 5 minutes, or until the rhubarb is tender but still holding its shape. Leave to cool.

Strain the cooled infused cream and discard the nibs. Whip the remaining cream until it barely holds its shape, then stir in the infused cream. To assemble, top the meringue with the cream and then the rhubarb. Pour over any pan juices, and serve immediately.