serves
8
prep
45 minutes
cook
1:30 hour
difficulty
Mid
serves
8
people
preparation
45
minutes
cooking
1:30
hour
difficulty
Mid
level
Ingredients
Pavlova
- melted butter, for brushing
- cornflour, for dusting
- 5 eggwhites (reserve yolks for the orange curd)
- pinch of sea salt flakes
- 200 g caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1 tbsp cornflour, sifted, extra
- pinch ground cinnamon
Orange curd
- 5 egg yolks (reserved from making the meringue)
- 220 g (1 cup packed) soft brown sugar
- 125 ml (½ cup) orange juice, strained
- 60 ml (¼ cup) lemon juice, strained
To serve
- whipped cream, orange segments and torn basil leaves
Cooling time: overnight
Instructions
Preheat oven to 150°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper, brush with melted butter and dust with extra cornflour, shaking off the excess.
Place the eggwhites and a pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer, and beat on high until soft peaks form. With the motor running, gradually add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, continuing to whip until the sugar has dissolved before adding more - this can take up to 25 minutes. The meringue should be glossy and all the sugar should be dissolved and not grainy. Reduce the speed to low and whisk in the vanilla and vinegar, then add the extra cornflour and cinnamon and mix through.
Spoon the meringue onto the baking tray to form a rough rectangle on a large baking tray, using a spatula to create little peaks around the sides.
Place in the oven, immediately reduce the temperature to 120C and bake for 90 minutes. The meringue should be slightly dry and crisp on the outside – it will really firm up on cooling. Turn of the oven and leave to cool overnight in the oven with the door ajar.
To make the orange curd, place the egg yolks, sugar and orange juice lemon juice in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil over medium heat, then place the bowl on top, making sure it doesn’t touch the simmering water (this is called a bain marie). Stir the egg yolk mixture continuously with a wooden spoon for 5–7 minutes or until it thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, cover closely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool.
To serve, spoon some curd over the base of serving plates. Smash the meringue and divide evenly among the plates. Top with a dollop of cream, and scatter over the orange segments and basil leaves.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
