In this recipe a blowtorch is used to give the meringue a very quick charred finish. The slight burnt sugar taste adds a bitter caramel note, which brings out the taste of the fruit and tempers the sweetness.

Timings

Prep time: 30 minutes 

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Makes

Four to six

Ingredients

For the meringue:

• 75g egg white
• 150g caster sugar
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 1 tbsp vinegar

For the strawberries:

• 250g strawberries, hulled and cut into quarters
• Zest of 1 lime and juice of ½ lime
• Few drops of sesame oil
• 1 tsp rosewater
• 1 tsp icing sugar

For the chantilly cream:

• 300ml double cream
• 1 tbsp icing sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4.
2. In an electric stand mixer, whisk the egg white until it is starting to foam.
3. Mix the sugar and cornflour together and, with the whisk running, add this a bit at a time to the egg-white foam. Add the vinegar and a pinch of salt.
4. Continue to whisk the whites until a white and stiff meringue is formed. Transfer this to a piping bag fitted with a large nozzle.
5. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and pipe the meringue into rounds 9cm across (draw pencil circles first, or pipe into a biscuit cutter if easier).
6. Bake for five minutes at 180C/160C fan/Gas 4 then turn the oven down to 100C/80C fan/lowest gas mark and bake until the meringues are crisp on the outside but still soft in the middle (about 30 minutes).
7. Meanwhile, toss the strawberries with the other ingredients and leave for 10 minutes to macerate.
8. Whisk the double cream with the icing sugar until thick.
9. To finish the meringues, grill the tops of them (or use a kitchen blow torch) until they are brown going on black. Break the blackened surface with the back of a fork and top with the chantilly cream.
10. Spoon the strawberries over the cream and add the juices.