Pavlova: An Australian (etc.) Classic
The origins of the large meringue dessert known as a Pavlova are famously controversial, and a testimony to the fragility of both Australian and New Zealand national psyches (similarly tested and found wanting with discussions about the nationality of the Finn brothers, Jane Campion, Rugby etc.). At last glance New Zealand seems to have its nose in front in the race to establish historical priority for the Pavlova, but in fact the dish is characteristic of both countries. So here it is, in preparation for Australia Day 2011.
The great ballerina Anna Pavlova toured the Antipodes in the 1920s, and soon after - yes, the first recorded version comes from New Zealand - recipes and other records of a meringue dessert with her name attached appear on both sides of the Tasman Sea. Be warned, however that the dessert is pronounced quite unlike the name: Pav-LOW-va, rather than PAV-lov-a.
The same insecurities, shared rather than contested, emerge when the uniqueness of Pavlova is discussed. In my humble opinion, Pavlova is merely a large meringue. Egg whites are beaten until stiff, sugar added, no doubt about that much. The addition of corn flour (cornstarch) is typical (but not universal); and vinegar is often used, but sometimes cream of tartar instead. And if you've ever made a Lemon Meringue pie, you will know that these ingredients and the production of soft marshmallow-like filling is hardly unique. More unusual, and certainly typical of a 'Pav', is the combination of a thin sweet crisp crust, like that of a smaller meringue, but with the soft interior more like that of a meringue-topped pie.
The Pav is inevitably served with whipped cream and fruit. In Australia passionfruit, which are grown in many backyards, seem iconic, but strawberries are also very common. In NZ the use of the "kiwifruit" seems to have become part of the assertion of ownership - one of the wobblier versions of the (otherwise justifiable) claims to priority suggests these were used in the original created by a Wellington hotel chef, which is possible, although remember that the term "Kiwifruit" and the strong association with NZ are much more recent phenomena.
At least as interesting are the different schools of thought about exactly how to bake the Pavlova, once carefully spooned onto a baking sheet or similar. One is the long-and-slow version, where the cake is baked in a fairly cool oven for an hour or more. The other is the start-hot-and-leave-it-to-cool version. I think the latter may have its historic basis in the way wood-burning stoves were used in the 1920s and 30s; one of the early NZ recipes puts the Pavlova on a low shelf in a hot oven, and then just leaves it as the oven gradually cools overnight.
For a bit more iconoclasm, the recipe below can be used for smaller, individual size 'Pavs', and draws on various sources but none more than one from Shuna Fish Lydon, New York pastry chef, as mediated by the redoubtable Elise Bauer's Simply Recipes. Call it globalization.
Pavlova
Ingredients
6 egg whites, at room temperature
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
1 Tbp corn flour (cornstarch) - note that US tablespoons are smaller - use a little more.
1 tsp vanilla essence
Cream and fruit to serve.
Method
Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Spread a large sheet of baking paper/parchment on a tray/sheet, bearing in mind your intended final size and shape.
Add salt and cream of tartar to egg whites and beat, beginning on low speed and gradually increasing, until peaks can hold their shape briefly.
Add half the sugar and the corn flour and beat on medium speed. After 2 minutes or so, add remaining sugar and continue to beat until mixture is stiff and glossy.
For a traditional single large Pavlova, tip the mixture carefully into a pile in the centre of the baking paper and using a spatula shape into a circle 2-3" high. Flatten the top somewhat. For individual Pavs, as shown above, tip large spoonfuls - a cup or so - around the paper and shape as desired.
Bake, lowering temperature to 250F/120C as soon as you put the tray in the oven. Check the meringues after 10 minutes or so and lower the temperature by another 10 degrees if they are visibly browning. For a single Pavlova, bake for an hour and 20 minutes. For individual servings, bake 50-60 minutes.
In real life it is not unusual for a Pav to be slightly browned or, even more likely, cracked in some places. Cool, then spread opaque whipped cream gratefully over the top and decorate with fruit.
The great ballerina Anna Pavlova toured the Antipodes in the 1920s, and soon after - yes, the first recorded version comes from New Zealand - recipes and other records of a meringue dessert with her name attached appear on both sides of the Tasman Sea. Be warned, however that the dessert is pronounced quite unlike the name: Pav-LOW-va, rather than PAV-lov-a.
The same insecurities, shared rather than contested, emerge when the uniqueness of Pavlova is discussed. In my humble opinion, Pavlova is merely a large meringue. Egg whites are beaten until stiff, sugar added, no doubt about that much. The addition of corn flour (cornstarch) is typical (but not universal); and vinegar is often used, but sometimes cream of tartar instead. And if you've ever made a Lemon Meringue pie, you will know that these ingredients and the production of soft marshmallow-like filling is hardly unique. More unusual, and certainly typical of a 'Pav', is the combination of a thin sweet crisp crust, like that of a smaller meringue, but with the soft interior more like that of a meringue-topped pie.
The Pav is inevitably served with whipped cream and fruit. In Australia passionfruit, which are grown in many backyards, seem iconic, but strawberries are also very common. In NZ the use of the "kiwifruit" seems to have become part of the assertion of ownership - one of the wobblier versions of the (otherwise justifiable) claims to priority suggests these were used in the original created by a Wellington hotel chef, which is possible, although remember that the term "Kiwifruit" and the strong association with NZ are much more recent phenomena.
At least as interesting are the different schools of thought about exactly how to bake the Pavlova, once carefully spooned onto a baking sheet or similar. One is the long-and-slow version, where the cake is baked in a fairly cool oven for an hour or more. The other is the start-hot-and-leave-it-to-cool version. I think the latter may have its historic basis in the way wood-burning stoves were used in the 1920s and 30s; one of the early NZ recipes puts the Pavlova on a low shelf in a hot oven, and then just leaves it as the oven gradually cools overnight.
For a bit more iconoclasm, the recipe below can be used for smaller, individual size 'Pavs', and draws on various sources but none more than one from Shuna Fish Lydon, New York pastry chef, as mediated by the redoubtable Elise Bauer's Simply Recipes. Call it globalization.
Pavlova
Ingredients
6 egg whites, at room temperature
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
1 Tbp corn flour (cornstarch) - note that US tablespoons are smaller - use a little more.
1 tsp vanilla essence
Cream and fruit to serve.
Method
Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Spread a large sheet of baking paper/parchment on a tray/sheet, bearing in mind your intended final size and shape.
Add salt and cream of tartar to egg whites and beat, beginning on low speed and gradually increasing, until peaks can hold their shape briefly.
Add half the sugar and the corn flour and beat on medium speed. After 2 minutes or so, add remaining sugar and continue to beat until mixture is stiff and glossy.
For a traditional single large Pavlova, tip the mixture carefully into a pile in the centre of the baking paper and using a spatula shape into a circle 2-3" high. Flatten the top somewhat. For individual Pavs, as shown above, tip large spoonfuls - a cup or so - around the paper and shape as desired.
Bake, lowering temperature to 250F/120C as soon as you put the tray in the oven. Check the meringues after 10 minutes or so and lower the temperature by another 10 degrees if they are visibly browning. For a single Pavlova, bake for an hour and 20 minutes. For individual servings, bake 50-60 minutes.
In real life it is not unusual for a Pav to be slightly browned or, even more likely, cracked in some places. Cool, then spread opaque whipped cream gratefully over the top and decorate with fruit.
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