Everything you need to know about meringue

Making a good meringue is a key skill for any home cook, and while it can get a bit scientific (as anything involving eggs, whisking and heat tends to), it’s simple once you know how. Let’s take a look at the three types of meringue and how they differ.

French

Usually used for pavlova bases and meringue nests, French meringue has that classic crunchy-outside-chewy-inside light and crumbly texture that almost dissolves on the tongue. It’s also the easiest to make – but takes the longest time as it needs to be baked low-and-slow after mixing.

How to make it: Heat the oven to 120°C fan/gas 1. Use an electric mixer on medium speed to whisk 3 medium free-range egg whites to soft peaks, then increase the speed to high and continue whisking while adding 160g caster sugar, a spoonful at a time. When it’s stiff and glossy, whisk in ½ tsp vanilla extract. Line a large baking tray with baking paper, sticking it in place with a tiny blob of the meringue in each corner, then spoon or pipe meringues onto it (you should get 6-12, depending on how large you make them), ensuring there’s plenty of space between each one. Bake for 1¼-1½ hours, then leave to cool.

Swiss

Next up we cross the border into Switzerland, a country that holds its glossy, pipeable, softer-yetdenser meringue in high regard. The mixture is smoother (smaller bubbles) and more stable than French meringue, and it doesn’t need to be baked, as the egg whites and sugar are mixed over simmering water. The gentle heat doesn’t fully cook the egg white, but it does help to stabilise the proteins. Swiss meringue is versatile as it can be eaten as soon as it’s mixed; it’s stable enough to be blowtorched and given some colour; it can be turned into buttercream or baked to make ‘meringue cuite’.

How to make it: Bring a pan of water to a gentle simmer and put a large metal or glass heatproof bowl on top of it. Add 3 medium free-range egg whites and 160g caster sugar to the bowl and, using a balloon whisk, continuously whisk them until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the bowl from the heat, then use an electric whisk on a medium speed to continue whisking the mixture until thick and glossy (about 10 minutes). Whisk in ½ tsp vanilla extract, then it’s ready to pipe.

Italian

Finally, we have Italian meringue – the trickiest to make but by far the most stable. It’s all about the timing with this one – you’re dealing with a lot more heat; you need the sugar syrup to be at the right temperature at the same time as the egg whites form soft peaks (so you’ll need a digital thermometer). The reward is well worth it – glossy, satin textured meringue that’s firm enough to hold its shape even when caramelised with a blowtorch or piped into intricate, wow-factor designs.

How to make it: Put 180g caster sugar and 45g water in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Make sure you have the thermometer ready to keep an eye on the temperature. Meanwhile, put 3 medium freerange egg whites in a stand mixer and begin slowly whisking until foamy. As soon as the sugar syrup starts nearing 121°C, increase the speed of the whisk to get your egg whites to the soft peak stage. When the syrup is at 121°C, start slowly streaming it into the egg whites (with the whisk still running – but don’t pour it onto the whisk/ beaters). When it’s all been added, add ½ tsp vanilla extract and leave the whisk to continue working until the meringue has cooled to room temperature. It’s now ready to be piped and eaten.