flipPavlova with Fresh Fruit
Pavlova with Fresh Fruit
Why this dish? The pavlova, a crisp meringue with a marshmallow centre topped with cream and fruit, is Australia's quintessential celebration dessert — for birthdays, Christmas in midsummer, and triumphant homecomings. For Dawn Fraser, a national hero returning from the Games with gold medals, it was the cake of celebrations shared by the whole country.
A meringue shell, crunchy outside and soft inside, topped with whipped cream and tangy fruit — passionfruit, strawberries, kiwi. Light, spectacular, festive.
When I came back from the Games with gold around my neck, believe me, there was pavlova on the table! It's OUR cake, us Australians — don't tell me the Kiwis invented it, we've squabbled enough over that. A beautiful white meringue, crispy outside and melting like a cloud inside, whipped cream on top, and passionfruit dripping all around. One bite and it's Sydney summer in your mouth, cross my heart, from a Balmain kid.
- •Egg whites — 4 (meringue base)
- •Caster sugar — one and a half cups (structure and crunch)
- •White vinegar — one teaspoon (stabilises the soft centre)
- •Cornflour — one teaspoon (marshmallow centre)
- •Whipping cream — one cup (topping)
- •Passionfruit, strawberries — as many as you like (tangy topping)
Pavlova with Fresh Fruit
A meringue shell, crunchy outside and soft inside, topped with whipped cream and tangy fruit — passionfruit, strawberries, kiwi. Light, spectacular, festive.
Why this dish? The pavlova, a crisp meringue with a marshmallow centre topped with cream and fruit, is Australia's quintessential celebration dessert — for birthdays, Christmas in midsummer, and triumphant homecomings. For Dawn Fraser, a national hero returning from the Games with gold medals, it was the cake of celebrations shared by the whole country.
When I came back from the Games with gold around my neck, believe me, there was pavlova on the table! It's OUR cake, us Australians — don't tell me the Kiwis invented it, we've squabbled enough over that. A beautiful white meringue, crispy outside and melting like a cloud inside, whipped cream on top, and passionfruit dripping all around. One bite and it's Sydney summer in your mouth, cross my heart, from a Balmain kid.
Ingredients (period version)
- Egg whites — 4 (meringue base)
- Caster sugar — one and a half cups (structure and crunch)
- White vinegar — one teaspoon (stabilises the soft centre)
- Cornflour — one teaspoon (marshmallow centre)
- Whipping cream — one cup (topping)
- Passionfruit, strawberries — as many as you like (tangy topping)
Ingredients
- Egg whites at room temperature — 4 (≈140 g) (meringue base)
- Fine caster sugar — 250 g (structure and crunch)
- White vinegar — 1 tsp (stabiliser)
- Cornflour — 1 tsp (soft centre)
- Double cream — 250 ml (topping)
- Passionfruit (2), strawberries (250 g), kiwi (2) — to taste (tangy topping)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 120°C. Trace a 20 cm circle on baking paper.
- Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, then add the sugar spoon by spoon, whisking until the meringue is smooth and glossy.
- Gently fold in the vinegar and cornflour.
- Spread the meringue into a disc on the traced circle, slightly hollowing the centre.
- Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes at 120°C, then leave to cool in the oven with the door ajar.
- When ready to serve, top with whipped cream and fresh fruit. Drizzle passionfruit pulp over the top.
How it was made : The pavlova appeared in the 1920s-30s, named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova who toured Australia and New Zealand. Its lightness evoked her tutu. By the 1950s-60s, it had become the indispensable dessert for any Australian celebration.
The contemporary twist : Make individual mini pavlovas, each crowned with a different fruit: a gourmet podium worthy of a champion.
Sources : Leach, Helen — The Pavlova Story: A Slice of New Zealand's Culinary History (2008) · Symons, Michael — One Continuous Picnic (1982)
Dawn Fraser · Charactorium
