“Instead of slicing the meringue, you can serve this marvellous dinner party dessert in the middle of the table for guests to help themselves to, with the raspberry coulis and almond anglaise in separate jugs for a theatrical drizzle.”
Images and recipes from Sharing Plates by Luke Mangan (Murdoch Books RRP $39.99)
Ingredients
RASPBERRY COULIS
65 ml (2 fl oz) plain Sugar syrup (page 232)
300 g (10½ fl oz) raspberry purée (you can use store-bought, or the one from Mario’s cheesecake on page 208)
MERINGUE
4 free-range egg whites
220 g (7¾ oz/1 cup) caster (superfine) sugar, plus extra for dusting
RASPBERRY FILLING
400 ml (14 fl oz) thick (double) cream
100 g (3½ oz) raspberries, crushed
ALMOND ANGLAISE
250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) milk
250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) pouring (single) cream
75 g (2½ oz/¹?³ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
4 free-range egg yolks
Frangelico or almond liqueur, to taste
TO GARNISH
150 g (5½ oz) strawberries, halved
150 g (5½ oz) blackberries
150 g (5½ oz) raspberries
70 g (2½ oz) flaked almonds, toasted
icing (confectioners’) sugar, for dusting
Method
FOR THE RASPBERRY COULIS Place the sugar syrup and raspberry purée in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and cool in the fridge.
FOR THE MERINGUE Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Line a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 inch) Swiss roll (jelly roll) tin with baking paper. Place the egg whites in a clean mixer bowl and whisk with electric beaters until medium peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, whisking until very stiff and glossy. Spoon the mixture into the lined roll tin and smooth the surface. Bake for 8 minutes, or until golden brown. Reduce the oven temperature to 160ºC (315ºF) and bake for a further 15 minutes, or until the meringue is crispy. Sprinkle a sheet of baking paper with extra caster sugar. Turn the meringue out onto the baking paper, and peel off the baking paper from the base of the meringue. Leave to cool.
FOR THE RASPBERRY FILLING Place the cream and raspberries in a bowl and lightly mix together.
FOR THE ALMOND ANGLAISE Place the milk, cream and half the sugar in a saucepan and bring to boiling point.
In a metal bowl, mix the egg yolks and remaining sugar. Whisk in half the milk mixture, then add the remaining liquid
and whisk until well combined. Pour into a clean saucepan and heat gently, stirring constantly until the mixture reaches 84ºC (183ºF) and coats the back of a spoon, taking care not to overcook the custard or the egg will scramble. Set aside
to cool, then add the almond liqueur to taste.
TO SERVE Spread the raspberry filling evenly over the meringue. Top with three-quarters of the strawberries, blackberries and raspberries. Starting at the long end, roll up the meringue, using the baking paper to help you. Cut into slices and place in serving bowls. Drizzle with the raspberry coulis. Top with the remaining fresh berries and scatter the flaked almonds over. Dust with icing sugar and serve the almond anglaise alongside.