Eton Mess with Strawberries, Basil & Elderflower

Serves 6-8 (but easily doubled)

Alby Hailes has created a vegan-friendly version of the classic UK dessert Eton Mess. Photo: Supplied

For many Kiwi families, either pavlova or trifle is the critically constant glue that holds together their Christmas. I love an Eton mess as it pleases both these camps, borrowing the meringue component of a pavlova and the layered creaminess of a trifle. Plus it’s incredibly easy to make from scratch and throw together on the day before serving. This recipe is particularly impressive as it is both vegan and gluten-free without sacrificing flavour or wow factor. Strawberries feel somewhat mandatory for an Aotearoa Christmas, and the floral notes of elderflower and basil freshness complement it perfectly here. You could equally sub out the strawberries for your favourite ripe stone fruit (apricots, cherries or nectarines would work wonderfully) or other fresh berries, whatever is on hand. I’ve opted to assemble this as one large dessert, for sharing in the centre of the table, but you could alternatively assemble the mess in small individual serving glasses/bowls, if desired.

Ingredients

Vegan meringues

• 100g aquafaba (liquid drained from a 400g can chickpeas ~ Pam’s are good)
• ¾ tsp cream of tartar
• 100g caster sugar

Strawberry sauce

• 500g fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped into small 1-2cm pieces
• 4 tbsp elderflower cordial
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 10 basil leaves, finely chopped

Macerated strawberries

• 500g fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered lengthways
• 10 basil leaves, slice thinly
• 3 tbsp elderflower cordial
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

To serve

• 700g Greek-style coconut yoghurt
• 1 tbsp elderflower cordial

Method

Prepare the meringues and strawberry sauce in advance (ie the day prior).

Preheat the oven to 100°C fan-forced (or 120°C conventional). Grease and line a large oven tray with baking paper and brush the paper very lightly with a little canola oil (this will help to ensure the meringues don’t stick to the paper once baked).

For the meringues, place the aquafaba and cream of tartar in a clean large bowl. Using an electric hand or stand mixer (a stand mixer makes this a lot easier), beat the aquafaba on high speed until white and forming stiff peaks, about 10 minutes. While beating continuously, gradually add the caster sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, making sure each tablespoon of sugar is dissolved before adding the next. Once all the sugar has been added, continue beating for a further 5 minutes to form a beautifully stiff, thick, and glossy meringue. Spoon large heaped tablespoons of meringue mixture onto the lined oven tray, with a little space between to allow them to spread - you should have about 12 piles of meringue. Place on the bottom shelf of the oven and bake for 1 hour 45 minutes (the meringues will take on a little more colour compared to egg-based meringues). Turn off the oven, open the door so it is slightly ajar, and leave the meringues to cool in the turned-off oven for a further 45 minutes to dry out fully. Store in an airtight container.

For the strawberry sauce, place the chopped strawberries, elderflower cordial and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the strawberries start to break down (you can mash these a little as they cook) and the liquid reduces slightly to form a delicious sauce. The sauce will thicken further as it cools. Stir through the chopped basil, transfer to a container or jar and refrigerate until ready to assemble your Eton mess.

Assemble the Eton Mess immediately prior to serving (to ensure the meringues retain some crispness when eaten).

For the macerated strawberries, place the chopped strawberries in a large bowl. Add the basil, elderflower cordial and lemon juice, tossing to coat. Set aside for 10 minutes to allow the flavours to mingle.

To assemble the Eton mess, in a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut yoghurt and elderflower cordial until smooth. In a trifle bowl (or similar-sized deep glass serving bowl), spoon one-quarter of the macerated strawberries into the base. Then begin to layer the components, first spooning over one-third of the yoghurt, drizzle with one-third of the strawberry sauce, roughly crumble over one-third of the meringues then spoon over one-third of the remaining macerated strawberries. Repeat twice more with alternating layers of yoghurt, sauce, meringues and strawberries.