Pavlova with whipped cream, poached rhubarb and pistachios

There’s something quintessentially English about this dessert, and it’s wonderful to share with friends.

Serves 6

6 large egg whites

1tbsp white wine vinegar

1tbsp cornflour

340g caster sugar

FOR THE COMPOTE

1kg rhubarb, washed and cut into even-sized pieces

Zest and juice of 2 oranges

125g caster sugar

Split vanilla pod

TO SERVE

500g rhubarb compote

300ml double cream, whipped 150g shelled pistachios, skins on, roasted and chopped

Preheat the oven to 130°C/110°C fan/ gas mark ¼. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.

In a large, clean mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Add the white wine vinegar and cornflour, and whisk in. Gradually add the caster sugar very slowly while continuing to whisk, until the meringue is very stiff and shiny.

On the parchment-lined baking sheet, draw a circle around a 20cm cake tin, then turn the parchment over.

Put a dab of meringue in each corner of the baking sheet to secure the parchment to the sheet.

Spoon the meringue into the middle of the circle and spread it out to fill the drawn shape, leaving a 1cm gap inside to allow the meringue to spread when cooking. Build up the sides of the meringue, leaving a hollow in the middle for filling later.

Bake for 1hr 15min, until the edges feel firm. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the baking sheet.

To make the compote, preheat the oven to 120°C/100°C fan/gas mark ¼. Arrange the rhubarb in a baking dish. Sprinkle over the orange juice and zest and sugar. Add the vanilla pod and cook for 1hr until the rhubarb is tender but still holding its shape. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Carefully transfer the meringue to a serving plate and fill with whipped cream, top with rhubarb compote, sprinkle with the pistachios, and eat!