Sharp rhubarb, sweet meringue and indulgent double cream, it’s a perfect marriage of flavours
This spectacular rhubarb Eton mess is the ideal way to make the most of the quintessential British vegetable. The contrasting bright pink rhubarb, delicate meringue and vibrant pistachios looks as fantastic as it tastes. We poached our rhubarb with some orange juice and rose water giving it a very elegant and subtle flavour and helping to tame the tartness.
If you’re new to poaching fruit, take a look at our pears in white wine and apples in Chardonnay. Our meringue is sprinkled with pistachios and rose petals but you could reserve these for garnish only, if you prefer. It would also be delicious served simply with fresh raspberries and a glug of good quality cream.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 100C/Gas X. Whisk the egg whites until foamy, then add cream of tartar and continue whisking.
- Slowly add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time until stiff peaks start to form. Spread over two lined baking sheets and level using a palette knife.
- Sprinkle most of the pistachios, reserving some for serving, and the rose petals evenly over the two meringues.
- Cook for 2hrs until dry to touch and leave to cool completely.
- Put the orange juice, sugar, rose water and 100ml water into a saucepan. Heat until the sugar is dissolved then add the rhubarb and simmer for 10-15 mins until tender.
- Remove the rhubarb batons and reduce the poaching liquid by half until it thickens.
- Softly whip the double cream and then fold through the orange zest. Crumble in one of the sheets of meringue into the cream and any rhubarb that can completely lost its shape.
- Break the other sheet of meringue into shards.
- Spoon the meringue cream mixture into bowls or glasses, top with batons of rhubarb and shards of meringue. Sprinkle over the remaining pistachios and a drizzle of the poaching syrup, if liked.
Ingredients
- 60g egg white
- 120g caster sugar
- 1/4tsp cream tartar
- 45g pistachios, roughly chopped
- 2 tsp rose petals
- juice and zest of 1 orange
- 100g caster sugar
- 1tsp rose water
- 400g rhubarb stalks, cut into 10cm batons
- 150ml double cream
Top Tip for making Rhubarb Eton messwith pistachio and rose meringue
Make the sheets of meringue the day before then poach the rhubarb and assemble just before serving.
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