Ingredients

• 2egg whites, at room temp
• ½ teaspoon cornflour
• ½ teaspoon vinegar
• 1 pinch cream tartar
• 225g caster sugar
• 40mlboiling water

• 400mlthickened cream
• Zest and juice of 2 lemons
• 125gcaster sugar

• 2digestive biscuits
• 20g Pariya pistachio kernels, toasted and chopped
• 20g unsalted butter, melted

• 1 punnet strawberries
• 100gcaster sugar
• 1 leaf gelatin sheet, soaked in cold water

• 10g basil leaves
• 5gcitric acid
• 5g caster sugar

• ½ punnet strawberries, finely chopped
• ½ vanilla bean, scraped
• 30g caster sugar

• 100mlcream
• ½ vanilla bean, scraped
• 20g sugar

• ½ punnet strawberries, finely diced
• 30mlreduced balsamic glaze
• 10gicing sugar

• Baby basil leaves

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Method

1. For the pavlova, preheat oven to 120°C.

2. Place egg whites in the clean dry bowl of an electric mixer along with the vinegar, corn flour and cream of tartar. Whisk until soft peaks form, rain in the sugar and continue whisking until stiff peaks form and sugar has dissolved. Add boiling water and whisk again. Spoon the meringue into a piping bag with a 2cm round nozzle, pipe 2cm discs onto a 20x30cm baking paper lined oven tray, and cook for 1 hour. Turn off the oven and leave to cool in the oven.

3. For the posset, place cream, lemon zest, and sugar in a small saucepan, infuse over a low heat for 15–20 minutes.

4. Place the juice of 2 lemons in a small saucepan and over a low heat and reduce by half. Add reduced lemon juice to cream mixture and over a low heat reduce the whole mixture by two thirds. When reduced, strain into a container and refrigerate until set. Mixture will the soft set and not firm or solid.

5. For the pistachio crumble, crumble biscuits into a bowl, add pistachios and melted butter and mix to combine. Set aside.

6. For the jelly, place strawberries and sugar in a medium bowl, cover with foil and set over a saucepan of simmering water. Leave for 30 minutes or until juices have come out of the strawberries and strain off liquid, should yield 100–150 ml. Squeeze excess water from the gelatin and dissolve in the warm strawberry liquid. Pour into a small square dish and set in the fridge. When jelly is set cut into 1cm squares and refrigerate until required.

7. For the sherbet, place basil leaves on a small oven tray, dry out in a very low oven set to 80°C until basil leaves are dry. Place basil leaves, citric acid and sugar in a mortar and pestle, grind to a fine powder. Set aside.

8. For the strawberry vanilla sauce, place all ingredients into a small saucepan and cook over a medium heat until strawberries are soft. Using a stick blender, process to a puree and strain through a fine sieve.  Set aside.

9. For the Chantilly cream, whip all ingredients in a clean dry bowl until soft peaks form. Refrigerate until needed.

10. For the balsamic strawberries, in a small bowl, combine diced strawberries with balsamic vinegar and icing sugar. Let stand for ten minutes before use.

11. To plate, using clean dry cold plates, swipe a tablespoon of strawberry sauce over the plate, then place small spoonful’s of lemon posset around. Arrange a few mini pavlova’s on each plate, add a spoonful of pistachio crumble and a sprinkle basil sherbet onto each lemon posset. Spoon on chopped strawberry jelly, and finish with a quenelle of Chantilly cream, a spoonful of diced balsamic strawberries and garnish with baby basil leaves.