The pavs and the pav-nots
MAKING
1 . Separate your eggs cleanly Any traces of yolk can stop the egg whites whipping up properly. 2 . Cold egg whites separate more easily But let the whites come up to room temperature before whipping. 3 . Use a large bowl Egg whites expand massively when you whip them and then some more when you add sugar. 4. Use clean equipment Fat is the enemy of a stable egg white foam. Use a glass, ceramic or metal bowl for whipping as these are easier to clean off fat. 5 . Clean with vinegar You can wipe your bowl with white vinegar if you are fanatical about removing fat. This will also add a touch of acid to the whites which helps in whipping up a stable foam. 6. Start slow When whipping egg whites start at a slow speed and slowly speed up as you approach the desired soft peaks. 7 . Add cream of tartar Just a pinch will help stabilise your egg white foam. 8. Don’t add cornflour Even though this will help stabilise the meringue, it will bring a noticeable and unwanted chalkiness to the party. 9. Use caster sugar Finer caster sugar is more quickly and easily absorbed into the egg whites than granulated sugar. 10. Use 55g of caster sugar For every egg white. 11 . Add your sugar gradually A tablespoon at a time once the egg whites have reached the soft peak stage. Add it slowly so sugar can be easily incorporated into the foam without losing too much air. The he desirable state is achieved when you can rub the foam betweenetween thumb and forefingerorefinger and perceive no graininess.raininess. 12 2 . Play with yourour sugars A raw w caster sugar gar or soft dark ark or light brown own sugar will ll give you an earthiertastingearthiersting meringue,eringue, if not t the same crispness.spness. 13 . Don’t beat thee sugar in tooo slowly We are looking for quick incorporation to avoid over-beating the whites so keep those beaters going at a good lick. If you incorporate the sugar too slowly, your meringue risks being fluffy. 14. Thick and glossy Your meringue is ready when it looks like this. And when all that sugar is absorbed. 15 . Don’t overbeat your meringue Stop p beating g when hen your beater or whisk starts
leaving ribbons wherewher they’ve been in the meringue. Overbeaten meringue can crack. I If your egg whites go past the firm peak stage a and start to look like they are curdled, the they are over beat beaten and cannot be rescued. 16. A teaspo teaspoon of vinegar I don’t do it, bu but folding in vinegarvine (often with a littlelit cornflour) can help promote a more stable marshmallowy centre. I don’t do it because I don’t mind if my pav collapses a little as it gives me a larger crater to fill with creamy stuff and fruit. 17 . Customise the meringue You can play with the snowy innocence of a traditional pavlova meringue. Try flavouring it with anything from hazelnut meal, desiccated coconut or cocoa or folding in a few drops of rose water or orange blossom water after beating. Or add food colouring, a little vanilla or almond extract. Just match what you’ll be adding to the flavour you’ll be using for toppings later.
BAKING
18. Get the perfect pav shape Trace the shape and size of your pav on a sheet of baking paper. Place this tracing-side facing down on to a metal baking tray. Secure paper with a dab of meringue in each corner. Grease with coconut oil if you want to be a healthy hipster. 19. Dollop your meringue Into this outline and pat down with a wooden spoon. I like to add swirls. 20. Smooth the outside edges of your pav with a palette knife Using upward sweeps if you want straight sides to your pav. Otherwise your pav will bulge a little in the middle. Personally I don’t think there is anything wrong with a little bulge. 21 . Bake long and slow This is less about cooking the pav than drying it out. 22 . Moisture is meringue’s kryptonite Humidity, rain or high levels of moisture in the air can affect the meringue’s ability to dry out and create a lovely crisp shell. It can also cause the meringue to weep sweet sugar tears. 23 . Follow the recipe But the pav is basically ready when its surfaces feel dry to the touch. 24. Leave your pav in the oven to dry out But turn off the oven! I like to leave the oven door a ajar. Take pav out straight away if you want it chewy.
DRESSING
WHIPPED CREAM AND KIWI FRUIT WERE THE FIRST PAV’S TOPPINGS. THIS WAS AN HOMAGE TO THE GREEN ROSES ON THE TUTU OF THE RUSSIAN BALLERINA THAT THIS DESSERT IS NAMED AFTER. 25 . More than just cream... think about mixing a little Greek yoghurt into your softly whipped cream or using icing sugar and a little liqueur with cream or even crème fraîche. Then there is the option of using ice cream or gelato instead. Just remember you need to keep the pav’s natural sweetness in check. 26. Be creative with your fruit pairings Forget the humdrum combo of berries and use banana slices tossed in lime juice with slices of fresh mango and curls of toasted coconut for something tropical, or toss on globs of fresh passionfruit pulp. Rhubarb and orange segments or fresh redcurrants are another ace combination, or pair fresh and frozen raspberries. 27 . Fruit can have friends Add elements that accentuate the fruit such as pairing halved blueberries and blackberries with curls of white chocolate, or topping your pav with fresh raspberries, rose petals and crushed candied pistachios for a Middle Eastern twist. 28. Herbs in dessert are so hot right now Play with toppings such as strawberries tossed with fine threads of fresh basil or lychees, pineapple or mango tossed with lime and julienne mint. Raspberries love rosemary while a thyme syrup can bring an interesting twist to peaches, grapes or cantaloupe. 29. Get saucy with it This can be as simple as ginger syrup on sliced mango, lemon curd with strawberries or a raspberry coulis under your berries, but these drizzles can bring muchneeded acidity and bite. Also think of a spiced-red wine syrup with sliced ripe plums, or salty caramel with peanuts and bananas for a banoffee pie pav. 30. Don’t stress about it there are no disasters that can derail a pav other than burning it which should be impossible given the low oven temperature it is cooked at. So even if it slumps, cracks or fall apart — pile it into glasses with fruit, ice cream and cream and call it a trifle or an Eton Mess.
December is the No.1 month for Aussies to make pavlovas and while this dessert is quite simple, there are more than 30 steps to getting a great pav