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| Pavlova (Photo credit: babe_kl) |
The original Pavlova dessert, a baked meringue topped with fruit and whipped cream, was named for the famous Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. Making crisp meringues requires a high ratio of sugar to egg whites, and a slow oven that will dry them out without giving them color. A gas oven with a pilot light is ideal for drying them out. Bakers seeking hard and completely fry baked meringues will leave them in the oven overnight to dry out. The Pavlova, however, calls for a softer baked meringue, crisp on the outside and slightly sticky on the inside.
Let us see if you can equal the taste of Plum Pavlova with your own style of cooking this recipe. When your cooking is done and everyone has tasted, let's hope that Anna Pavlova will be proud of the food that bore her name.
You will need:
For the meringues:
1/2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) egg whites (3-4 large eggs)
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup (8 oz/250 g) sugar
2/3 cup (5 oz/155 g) sugar
3 or 4 firm Simka or Santa Rosa plums, halved, pitted, and each half sliced into 8 slices
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons (3 oz/90 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1/4-inch (6-mm) cubes
Here's how:
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment (baking) paper.
To make the meringues, in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites, salt, and lemon juice. Beat on high speed until the large, foamy bubbles become small, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the 1 cup sugar while continuing to beat. Return the mixer to high speed and beat until the whites are firm and glossy, about 8 minutes.
With a spring-loaded ice cream scoop or a large spoon, mound the meringue in 6 well spaced mounds on the prepared baking sheet. With the back spoon, form a depression in the center of each mound. Bake the meringues for 1 hour, turn off the oven, and let the meringues remain in the over for another hour. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature before serving. (The meringues may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.)
In a large, nonreactive sauce pan over medium heat, bring 1/2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) water and the 2/3 cup sugar to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Boil for 2 minutes to make a thin syrup. Add the plum slices and salt and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the plums are tender, 3-4 minutes. Add the butter and swirl the mixture in the pan until the butter is melted.
Arrange the meringues on individual plates. Spoon the plums along with some of the juice on top of the meringues. Serve the Pavlova at once.
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