Classically 'Eton Mess' is made with whipped cream, meringue and strawberries but really, you can use any kind of fruit you like. Tangy rhubarb and pomegranate work beautifully with the sweet caramelised marshmallow meringue and the rosewater adds an exotic, aromatic touch. It is, of course, meant to be literally 'a mess' with all the ingredients folded together and heaped in a bowl. But I thought I'd have some fun by reconstructing it or should that be deconstructing it?
Ingredients
Serves 2
3 x thin rhubarb sticks
Rosewater
1 x pomegranate
2 tsp sugar
100ml double cream
Strawberry dust (recipe here)
Edible rose petals
For the meringue:
3 egg whites
150g caster sugar
Pinch of salt
Method
For the meringue:
Fold meringue pieces and rhubarb pieces (cut them in 3) into the whipped cream, pile into glass bowls, sprinkle pomegranate seeds over the top. Drizzle the pomegranate syrup over the top. Sprinkle with strawberry dust and rose petals.
And with traditional serving method (just use lots more of everything!):
Ingredients
Serves 2
3 x thin rhubarb sticks
Rosewater
1 x pomegranate
2 tsp sugar
100ml double cream
Strawberry dust (recipe here)
Edible rose petals
For the meringue:
3 egg whites
150g caster sugar
Pinch of salt
Method
For the meringue:
- Preheat oven to 150 C and line an oven tray with baking paper.
- Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.
- Add the salt and caster sugar bit by bit (beating as you go).
- Pile the meringue into the tray and shape as desired.
- Bake for one hour then turn off oven and allow to cool.
- Partially brown the top of the meringue with a culinary torch or by placing under the grill. Smash the meringue into pieces. (There will be more meringue than you need. Meringue pieces will keep for a few weeks in an airtight container).
- Cut the rhubarb into 2 inch pieces. Place in a shallow pan and add enough water to just cover them.
- Add a few drops of rose water (approx. 1/2 tsp) and poach the rhubarb until just tender. Drain, reserving the cooking liquor. Place rhubarb on kitchen towel to dry and chill.
- Remove the seeds from the pomegranate reserving the juice. Set aside the seeds, removing any pith (there will be more seeds than you need).
- Place the pomegranate juice in a small pan. Add 2 tsp of sugar and simmer gently until reduced by half, to form a syrup. Set aside to cool.
- Whip double cream until it forms stiff peaks. Place in a piping bag.
- Pipe a streak of the cream along the centre of the plate. This will help the meringue pieces to adhere to the plate. Arrange meringue pieces in a line on top of the cream.
- Place 5 rhubarb pieces at angles across the meringue (odd numbers always look better on plates).
- Pipe the cream in five places around the rhubarb as shown. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds in and around.
- Trickle lines of pomegranate syrup over the rhubarb pieces
- Place a teaspoon of strawberry dust in a small sieve. Dust over the dish.
- Sprinkle with rose petals.
Fold meringue pieces and rhubarb pieces (cut them in 3) into the whipped cream, pile into glass bowls, sprinkle pomegranate seeds over the top. Drizzle the pomegranate syrup over the top. Sprinkle with strawberry dust and rose petals.
And with traditional serving method (just use lots more of everything!):
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