La Préparation
Preheat your oven to 100 degrees Celsius and line a baking tray with baking paper. Whisk the egg whites until they form into a soft, opaque foam with no bubbles. Add the sugar one spoonful at a time and continue whisking. Add the salt and cornstarch and whisk until stiff peaks form.
Pipe or spoon the mixture into a roughly 20 cm-in-diameter circle. Pipe or spoon the rest of the mixture into a border around the circle, creating a shallow bowl. Feel free to simply spread the meringue or decoratively pipe it; either way will look fantastic.
Cook for about one hour 20 minutes or until you have a crunchy exterior and slightly soft interior. Then, turn the oven off and leave the pavlova inside to cool for about 30 minutes. Toast the exterior of the pavlova with a small blow torch (think cème brûlée), moving continually over the surface until it’s lightly browned.
While the pavlova is baking, make the compote by tossing half of your berries and vanilla into a sauce pot and simmering on low for five to ten minutes. Save the rest of the berries to top the pavlova later. Blend the compote and let it cool in the fridge until you're ready to mix it with the Chantilly cream.
Once the Pavlova has cooled, mix the vanilla, cream, and sugar in a bowl and whisk until the cream is fluffy with stiff peaks. This works best if all of your ingredients are cold.
Now you’re ready to assemble! Fill the pavlova with your Chantilly creme, spread the compote over the cream, and top with your mixed berries, et voilà ! Your Parisian-inspired pavlova is ready to be enjoyed with friends and family. Bonne fête!
