Meringue is very fun to play with and can be spread or piped into many different designs.
Here, we like a neat, simple mound with a little bit of natural swoosh.
This pavlova recipe has several components that can be prepared ahead to make serving a breeze.
Photo: William Dickey
Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
Beat on medium-high speed until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and sift cornstarch over the top.
Bake for 1 1/2 hours.
(you’ve got the option to also leave it in the oven to continue drying out overnight.
This is particularly helpful if you live in a humid climate or it’s a rainy day.)
It should be dry and crisp on the outside and soft and slightly marshmallowy on the inside.
Meanwhile, prepare lemon curd:Place water in a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin evenly over the top.
Let bloom for at least 5 minutes.
Fill a small saucepan with a few inches of water and bring to a simmer.
Whisk for about 30 seconds until light and thick.
Set the bowl over the pot of simmering water and whisk in Meyer lemon juice and lemon juice.
Remove the bowl from the heat; immediately add the bloomed gelatin-water mixture.
Let stand for 1 minute to melt the gelatin, then whisk to combine.
Stir in Meyer lemon zest and butter until smooth.
To prepare citrus salad:Slice both ends off grapefruit, Meyer lemon and oranges.
With a sharp knife, remove the peel and white pith; discard.
Set a sieve or colander over a bowl.
Squeeze the citrus membranes to extract any additional juice.
You should end up with about 2 cups segments and 1/2 cup juice.
Combine the juice and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a small saucepan.
Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until syrupy and reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 10 minutes.
Split vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape seeds into the syrup; stir to combine.
Let cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
When you are ready to serve, remove the curd from the refrigerator and whip until smooth and creamy.
Fold in whipped cream.
To assemble:Place the meringue on a platter.
Mound the curd generously into the center.
Spoon the citrus segments on top with a slotted spoon.
Drizzle the syrup over the top.
Garnish with mint leaves, if desired.
To make ahead
Refrigerate curd (Steps 5-7) for up to 3 days.
Refrigerate citrus segments and syrup (Step 8) for up to 2 days.
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient.
