Pavlova – The White Swan
I remember my first encounter with Pavlova. It was love from the first bite! The flavors were exactly what I adore in a dessert. Her appearance - a total “show off”. With the first bite, you could savor this crispy, crunchy taste that melted in your mouth, while mixing the flavors of whipped cream, vanilla, strawberries, and mint. Even though I am not a sweet lover (certainly not a chocolate lover) Pavlova is one of my favorite desserts. It is without a doubt on my sweet menu list and statistically the most welcomed in our home. I can still hear the comments while proudly placing another Pavlova on the table “here we go again”!
It’s not only her wonderful taste or her breathtaking appearance that always gives you a great sense of satisfaction while presenting it, but it is also the easiest dessert to make. You can make endless mix and match combinations and flavors, and each time you don’t feel that you are repeating yourself, but that you are creating something new from the beginning.
If you think that her name betrays her heritage, as I could have sworn, you are mistaken!! This white meringue feast seems to be the inspiration for a Chef in the Hotel Wellington in New Zealand. We go back to 1926 when the famous Anna Pavlova was touring in New Zealand and staying at the Wellington Hotel. Anna was one of the most famous ballerinas of the 20th century in Russia. The story goes that the famous Pavlova was portraying the role of ”Swan” in the performance “The Carnival of Animals”, so that is how the white meringue symbolizes the White Swan which the Chef was inspired by and made it in her honor. With this story, the myth of the “Russian Heritage” has crumbled and with this everything falls into place!
So from the name of a very famous ballerina came the “ famous Pavlova”. Since then this dessert has become a very important part of the history of gastronomy for New Zealand and also Australia. It is a “must” to try for every visitor!
It seems that Pavlova has a big part in the ethnical kitchen in New Zealand. From the well-known research that was done by a professor in gastronomical Anthropology, Ellen Linch, 667 recipes for Pavlova were found!! I know it seems like a large number but I feel I can understand where they all come from. So many mix and match combinations!! Maybe it is the only dessert that needs no discipline to make. Everyone can make his/her own recipe with his/her choice of fruits and ingredients.
My favorite time of the year for Pavlova is summer and the only two reasons are that she is so light and cool! Having access to fresh fruits all year round we can make Pavlova whenever we desire. The secret of this all-weather dessert is for someone to make (and why not to buy ready meringue; in that case it’s super easy) a crispy scented meringue, to beat a tasteful whipped cream (I use vegetal crème for a lighter result), to mix all this and to add fruits, chocolate, caramel, nuts, zest, herbs…. And whatever else!!
As I am expecting friends today, I decided to make my favorite Pavlova once again. This time I chose every fresh “berry” I could find at the market. As for the meringue, I will go for something unique, meringue with coffee and ground roasted hazelnuts!! Coffee generously offers to this amazing scent and flavor of the meringue which matches perfectly with vanilla beans and roasted hazelnuts. Simply divine !!! Add it to “ to do list”!
Ingredients
160gr sugar
Beans from 2 vanilla sticks
3 egg whites (at room temperature)
Pinch of salt
2tsp of corn flour
1tsp of white vinegar
1tsp of lemon juice
1tsp of espresso coffee
250ml of whipped cream ( I use vegetal cream for a lighter result which has already some sugar) otherwise add 2tbsp
2tbsp of sugar ( for the cream if you use it )
2tbsp ground hazelnuts
Blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries ( or any fruit of your choice)
Method
1. The day before. Preheat oven to 100 degrees
2. Place baking sheet on the baking surface and leave it on the side
3. Fill pot with water to the middle and bring it to a boil
4. Add the sugar and vanilla beans in the mixer and beat until incorporated
5. In a large bowl add sugar with vanilla, the egg whites, salt, cornflour, vinegar, lemon juice. Whisk carefully just until combined.
6. Place the mixing bowl over the simmering water and slowly stir for a few minutes. Once it becomes smooth, continue whisking until it forms stiff peaks.
7. Add ground roasted hazelnuts and mix carefully with a wooden spoon
8. With spoon shape the meringue basis to two medium sized circles about 25 cm wide each
9. Sprinkle with coffee powder
10. Place the meringue in the oven for 2 hours. When done turn off the oven and allow the meringue to dry inside the oven overnight
11. In a bowl, whisk the whipped cream with 2 spoons of sugar
12. Place the meringue base on the plate and spread the whipped cream on top with chosen fruits and then repeat meringue base, whipped cream and for the end decorate the desert with the remaining fruits. Before serving sprinkle some powdered sugar on the fruits and scatter some mint leaves on the top.
13. Take a picture and definitely post it!!
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