Eton mess

Serves 2-3

• 2 eggs
• 65g caster or granulated sugar
• 65g icing sugar
• 100ml double cream
• 250g fresh strawberries, halved or quartered

You only need the white from the egg, and here’s the best way to get it. Place three bowls on your worktop. Crack an egg in half over one of the bowls, and carefully pass the yolk from one shell to the other. Once all the egg white has fallen into the bowl, pour the yolk into an empty bowl and discard the shell.

Crack the next egg into an empty bowl and repeat the above process. Once you’ve got the white, add it to the other egg white, add the yolk to the other yolk. This works if you use more eggs, and ensures if you make an error, you only get yolk mixing with one egg white, and not all the whites. That would be bad. What do you use to retrieve rogue pieces of egg shell? A larger bit of egg shell!

Pour the egg whites into a large mixing bowl. Whisk the eggs with a balloon or electric whisk, until it forms soft peaks. The eggs will be opaque, and if you lift the whisk from the mixture, it should hold a soft peak, which slowly collapses.

Continue to whisk the eggs, whilst slowly adding the caster sugar. Once all the sugar’s added, whisk until the mixture forms stiff peaks. The mixture will be glossy, and when you remove the whisk, the peaks will stay where they are.

Sift in the icing sugar, and use a spatula to gently fold it into the mixture.

Pre-heat your oven to 110°C/Gas Mark ¼. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and spoon the mixture onto the tray. Bake for 1 hour, then switch off the heat, and leave the meringue in the cooling oven for a further hour or so.

Clean and dry your mixing bowl. Pour in the cream, and whisk until it’s nice and thick. Break the meringue into bite size pieces and add to the bowl, followed by the strawberries. Gently fold everything together, and serve in a glass or bowl.

(I’m thinking about making a balsamic strawberry sauce to go with this, so will give that a go next time!)