ICED GINGER MERINGUE
Just as my ginger cake has a feisty hit of ginger, so too does this frozen delight. I love it for its sheer simplicity; all you need is meringues, whipped cream, a good measure of ginger, some orange zest and a deepfreeze. Served with a salad of minted tropical fruit, it is ideal for a celebratory luncheon in the garden. You can also wrap it in ice packs, pop it in a cooler box and impress family and friends by producing it at a picnic.
Ingredients
YOU WILL NEED: One medium baking tray. One 600ml / 1 pint china pudding basin and one large baking sheet lined with non- stick baking parchment.
FOR THE MERINGUES: 2 free-range egg whites 90g / 3oz golden caster sugar( 6 Tbsp) 30g / 1oz demerara sugar( 2 Tbsp) FOR THE GINGER CREAM: 300ml / 1¼ cup double cream Zest of 1 un-waxed lemon Zest of 1 orange 3 pieces stem ginger 30g / 1oz crystallised ginger
FOR THE MINTED PINEAPPLE SALAD: 1 small, sweet pineapple 2 passion fruit A handful of mint leaves
Method
1. Make the meringues: Preheat the oven to 130 º C / 250 º F. Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Add the sugar slowly while continuing to whisk, to yield a firm and glossy meringue.
2. Spoon the meringue into 10 mounds on the baking tray and sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Bake for 1 hour if they are not crisp after this time, then cook for a little longer. Once cooked, turn off the oven and leave them in while it cools down.
3. Line the pudding basin with cling film and put it in the freezer to chill.
4. Whip the cream until it stands in soft peaks. Don’ t over whip it or you will spoil the texture of the frozen dessert.
5. Crush the meringues roughly and mix them into the cream. Finely grate the citrus zest, stem ginger and crystallised ginger into the cream and mix together.
6. Spoon the mixture into the pudding basin and pack down well. Cover and freeze for 3 – 4 hours.
7. Dice the pineapple and combine it with the passion fruit and mint leaves.
8. To serve, turn out the iced meringue onto a plate and accompany it with the fruit salad.
Carolyn Robb, co-founder of The Royal Touch, was formerly Executive Chef to TRH Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana for over a decade and also served other members of the Royal Family. Carolyn’ s cookbook The Royal Touch is a beautiful compilation of stunning recipes gathered from far and wide on an incredible culinary journey. Inspired by everything from her mother’ s home-cooking, memories of her happy childhood in South Africa and her extensive travels to the extraordinary experiences of 13 years as a chef in the royal household, Carolyn’ s recipes are simple to prepare and perfect to share. www. society. qa 53