HOW TO MAKE ETON MESS
THE INTERESTING ORIGINS OF ETON MESS
Said to have been created at Eton College back in the 1920s, the origin story of Eton mess is nothing short of humorous. As the story goes, a strawberry pavlova intended as an after-match treat following a game of cricket was dropped, thus creating a literal mess at Eton! Although the validity of this story is questioned by many, it’s a whimsical and amusing story nevertheless!
Follow this 6-step easy Eton mess recipe and experience the most delicious culinary accident to have ever occurred!
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°Fan/Gas 7.
- In a large bowl whisk the egg whites using an electric hand whisk until they are stiff. Gradually add the sugar, little at a time making sure to keep the mixture firm.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and using a large tablespoon, spoon dollops of the mixture onto the lined tray, leaving a little bit of space in between.
- Bake on the bottom shelf of the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes until the meringues are hard. Leave to cool in the oven.
- In the meantime, wash and hull your strawberries, and chop them roughly. Lightly crush one third of the strawberries into a compote.
- To prepare the whipped cream, whisk together the cold cream and vanilla extract with the icing sugar until it starts to form soft peaks.
- Squash six of the meringues, and tip them in the whipped cream along with the chopped strawberries. Stir, and then add the strawberry compote, trying not to over-mix at this stage.
- Dollop into bowls, crushing the rest of the meringue on top and decorating with the remaining strawberries. Serve immediately.
