Friday 17 August 2018

Foodie Friday – Eton Mess




Eton Mess is said to have originated from Eton College (near Windsor) and is served every year for the cricket match against Harrow.  It dates back to the late 1800's.


So the reference to Eton is understandable.  But why Mess?  There are a couple of competing stories.  One is that a strawberry cream and meringue dessert was dropped and rather than throwing it away they just popped the crumbled mess into bowls and served it.  An alternate story involves a picnic and a Labrador – but this story dates to a time well after the first Eton Mess was recorded in print.

This recipe is from the Country Life Magazine:

How to make perfect Eton Mess

Ingredients

  • 6oz golden caster sugar
  • 3 large egg whites
  • 1lb strawberries
  • 1tbsp unrefined icing sugar
  • 1 pint double cream

Method

For the meringues
Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Add the caster sugar gradually and continue to whisk until thoroughly mixed.
Place rounded spoonfuls of the mixture on a lined baking tray and bake for an hour at 275°F. Leave the meringues to dry out overnight.
For the mess
Chop half the strawberries and put them in a blender with the icing sugar. Blend until smooth and sieve to remove the seeds.
Chop the rest of the strawberries and whip up the double cream. Break up the meringues into about one-inch pieces, put them in a mixing bowl, add the strawberries and fold the cream in around them.
Gently fold in all but 2tbsp of the puree to give a marbled effect. Place the mixture in a serving dish and spoon the rest of the puree over the top.
Serve immediately

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