Pavlova

Ingredients

• For the meringue
• 6 egg whites, at room temperature, completely free of yolk
• 300 g caster sugar, added tablespoon by tablespoon during whipping
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• For the topping
• 300 ml whipping cream, freshly whipped at time of service
• 4 passionfruit, pulp scooped; or substitute kiwifruit, sliced
• 250 g strawberries, hulled and halved
• 2 kiwifruit, peeled and sliced

Method

1. 1
   Preheat the oven to 120 °C. Line a baking tray with parchment and draw a 25 cm circle on the underside as a guide. Ensure the mixing bowl and whisk are entirely free of fat or grease — wipe with a cut lemon half and dry thoroughly. Any trace of yolk or residue will prevent the whites from reaching stiff peaks.
2. 2
   Whip the egg whites on medium speed until they hold soft peaks. With the mixer running, add the caster sugar one tablespoon at a time, waiting between each addition until fully incorporated. Rapid addition produces a grainy, unstable meringue that weeps. Continue until the meringue is very stiff and glossy, and no graininess can be felt when a small amount is rubbed between finger and thumb.
3. 3
   Fold in the white wine vinegar and cornstarch by hand with a large spatula. These are the defining additions of the Antipodean tradition: the vinegar denatures the egg proteins to produce a marshmallow interior rather than a fully dry meringue, and the cornstarch absorbs residual moisture during cooling. Without them, the pavlova bakes to a hard, uniform French meringue. This is where the dish lives or dies — fold only until just combined, preserving as much volume as possible.
4. 4
   Spoon the meringue onto the prepared tray within the drawn circle. Using the back of a spoon, shape the sides upward and press a shallow indent into the centre to form a concave well that will hold the cream and fruit at service. The surface should be matte and hold its shape without slumping.
5. 5
   Bake at 120 °C for 90 minutes. Do not open the oven door at any point during baking — temperature fluctuation cracks the outer shell prematurely. At 90 minutes, turn the oven off, leave the door ajar, and allow the pavlova to cool inside the oven overnight. The exterior should be pale ivory and dry to a light tap; it will have a faint hollow sound when the base is tapped.
6. 6
   At the moment of service — no more than 30 minutes before — whip the cream to soft peaks and spoon it into the centre indent. Pile the passionfruit pulp, sliced kiwifruit, and halved strawberries over the cream. The fruit acid will begin to soften the meringue on contact, creating a gradual textural spectrum from crisp crust to cream to fruit. Carry the pavlova whole to the table and cut there: the sound of the exterior shell shattering and the soft interior yielding is the experience.