John Whaite’s great bake for a Parisian-inspired afternoon tea

Having not seen my old mum, Linda, since Christmas, I thought it only right to take her away for a little trip to Paris as an early treat for Mother’s Day and her birthday (for the next 20 years). Using her words, though, next time “I think we’d better just stay at home”.

It’s not that we argued or fell out over who had the best seat on the Eurostar; it was great to finally see each other again. It just seemed that everything else was a little disappointing.

Both being immensely greedy, we were most looking forward to all of the food: baguettes; crepes; perfect patisserie, the lot. Unfortunately, though, after we arrived we didn’t have a single meal worth bragging about.

The restaurant I chose for our evening meal, Ze Kitchen Gallerie, was supposed to be an ultra-chic paradise for the peckish. It was an aesthetically pleasing place: clean white walls and modern art hung perfectly. The kitchen was in full view behind a large window, and the chefs’ whites were whiter than white. What left me even whiter than that, however, was the main course. I went for the rabbit, and without being too graphic, my lapin was practically leaping.

Now, I’m not one of those “les anglais” (as the waitress explained to her colleague while whisking my bunny back to the boil) who goes on holiday to prop up the bar in an Irish pub – then seeks out a full English breakfast for morning sustenance. I go away to immerse myself in the culture. Raw rabbit, however, screams to me of a culture that probably fell out of the evolutionary loop a long time ago.

The light at the end of my tunnel of culinary catastrophes is this recipe. It’s inspired by a patisserie book that I found in Le Bon Marché, and it’s a great bake for a Parisian-inspired afternoon tea.

Inside Out Pavlova (meringue shell encasing fruit and cream – makes 15)
Meringue Ingredients:
4 egg whites
225g caster sugar

Filling Ingredients:
100g whipping or double cream
1tbsp icing sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
100g mixed berries, chopped

Essential Equipment:
15 hole half-sphere mould (available here)
Piping bags

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 120C. To make the meringue domes, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, then slowly whisk in the sugar, adding it just a tablespoon at a time. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved and you have a stiff, shiny meringue.

2. Pile the meringue into the piping bag and pipe a blob of meringue into each half sphere. With the back of a spoon, spread the meringue around the sides of the spheres to create hollow domes of meringue.

3. With the remaining meringue, onto a lined baking sheet pipe spiralled disks of about 2 inches in diameter. Place all of the meringue products into the oven and reduce the heat instantly to 100C. Allow to bake for 45 minutes, then turn off the oven and open the door slightly. Allow to cool completely.

4. For the filling, whip the cream to soft, floppy peaks, then whisk in the icing sugar, vanilla and chopped fruits.

5. Delicately unmould the meringue domes and fill each with the fruity cream. Place a disk of meringue over the cream to seal the dome, and serve.

Tip: Try adding a glug of amaretto or elderflower liqueur to the cream for a boozy hit!

Follow John Whaite on Twitter @JohnWhaiteBakes or visit his official website.

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