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Pavlova is one of the few dishes to originate totally in Australia. It was invented in Perth by Herbert Sachse, chef at the Esplanade Hotel, as a tribute to the great ballerina, Anna Pavlova. Some say it was created in 1935, after she had visited the city in 1929; others say that it happened during her visit. Meringue cakes are quite prominent in cookbooks of the period, but Sachse added cornflour and vinegar to the basic egg whites and meringue. He later recalled, "I had always regretted that the meringue cake was too hard and crusty, so I set out to create something that would have a crunchy top and would cut like a marshmallow."
- 4 egg whites
- a pinch of salt
- 1 cup castor sugar (granulated sugar)
- 1 teaspoon cornflour
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- whipped cream - lots!
- fruit - traditionally passionfruit, but any fresh fruit that you like will suit very well
- Preheat your oven to 150ºC (300ºF) before you start any other preparation.
- Beat the egg whites and the salt together until they are stiff enough to form peaks.
- Sift the sugar and add it slowly to the mixture, beating it at high speed until all the sugar has dissolved.
- Lastly, fold in the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla essence.
- Pile the mixture on a tray with greaseproof paper placed on it. Shape the pile into a circle, mould the sides with a spatula so that they are a little higher than the rest of the flat top of the "cake."
- Bake in the bottom of the oven for about 1½ hours, or until it is quite firm to touch.
- Turn off the oven and leave the pavlova in it until cool.
- Fill the depression on the top with whipped cream and garnish with the fruit. Serve in large slices with more whipped cream and fruit.
This recipe needs a careful, confident approach to do well. If you can consistently make good pavlovas, you are a good cook! Guard your secrets jealously. Like good sponge cake makers, good pavlova makers are rare people.
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