Rosewater Meringue with Poached Fruits

Rosewater Meringue with poached strawberries and rhubarb, vanilla mascarpone cheese and dried rose petals.

Serves 5

Rosewater Meringue

Pre-heat oven to 90C

6 egg whites
375g caster sugar
Pinch salt
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp rose water

Method

1. Whisk egg whites while slowly adding caster sugar. Whisk for 10-12 minutes until stiff peaks form and all sugar has dissolved. When it’s right you should be able to hold the bowl upside-down. If you’re scared to do so, whisk some more!

2. Add vinegar, rose water and salt then whisk more.

3. Using a kitchen serving spoon, spoon quenelle-shaped (oval-shaped) meringues onto an oven tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 90 minutes.

4. Switch oven off. Leave meringues in the oven for 3-4 hours to cool gradually.

Strawberries and Rhubarb poached in Spiced Sugar Syrup

4 cups water
3 cups sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cinnamon quills
4 star anise
4 cardamom pods
1 punnet of strawberries, washed, topped and halved
6 rhubarb stems, lightly peeled and chopped into 2cm lengths

Method

1. Place all ingredients in a saucepan except the fruit and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes.

2. Poach strawberries for 3 minutes and rhubarb for 5 minutes.

Vanilla Mascarpone

250g Mascarpone cheese
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

Method: Fold scraped vanilla seeds through mascarpone cheese.

To Serve

Spoon vanilla mascarpone onto a meringue base centred on a plate. On top, layer another meringue and more mascarpone then top with poached fruits. Garnish with dried rose petals and poaching syrup.