How to: Classic Eton Mess

Light, fruity, and irresistibly moreish, Eton Mess has long been a favourite on the menu here at Ragdale. Our pastry chef, Xun, has perfected her own version, balancing crisp meringue, soft whipped cream, and fresh seasonal berries for a dessert that’s as elegant as it is comforting.

Xun shares her recipe so you can bring a taste of Ragdale into your own kitchen. Whether you’re making it for a dinner party or a quiet weekend treat, her simple tips will help you create the show-stopping dessert.

Meringue

Ingredients:

• 3 Egg Whites (at room temperature)
• 200g Caster Sugar
• ¼ tsp Vanilla Paste (optional)
• 1 Lemon Zest (optional)

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 110C/ 100C fan/gas ¼. Line up a flat tray with baking parchment.
2. Using a stand mixer, start with egg whites at room temperature and mix in vanilla and lemon zest. Begin beating to a soft peak and gradually add sugar, beating until stiff peaks form and the sugar is dissolved. The meringue will be glossy.
3. Pipe out meringue in a waterdrop shape. Or simply Scoop up a heaped dessertspoonful of the mixture. Using another dessertspoon, ease it on to the baking sheet to make an oval shape.
4. Bake for 1 ½-1 ¾ hours in a fan oven, 1 ¼ hours in a conventional or gas oven, until the meringues sound crisp when tapped underneath.
5. Leave to cool on the trays or a cooling rack. (The meringues will now keep in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for a month.)

Chantilly

Ingredients:

• 300ml Double Cream
• 27g Sugar
• 1tsp Vanilla Paste

Method:

1. Whip the cream, sugar and vanilla together in a bowl using electric whisk until the mixture forms soft peaks.

Strawberry Coulis

Ingredients:

• 300g of Strawberries
• 50g of Icing Sugar
• 1/4 tsp Lemon Juice, (fresh)

Method:

1. Wash, hull and quarter the strawberries
2. Place in a pan with the icing sugar and lemon juice and simmer down until the strawberries have completely collapsed – about 5–10 minutes
3. Blend the strawberries into a smooth sauce using a hand blender or blender. Pass through a fine sieve for an extra smooth finish

Assemble

Ingredients:

• 60 g blackberries
• 48 g raspberries
• 24 g red currants

Assemble the Eton Mess by layering the whipped cream, strawberry coulis, blackberries, raspberries, currants and the rest of the crushed meringues bits together. Garnish each Eton Mess with the reserved meringue cookies and serve immediately. Serves six.

If you’d like to learn more about Xun, her career journey, and the inspiration behind her desserts, you can read our full interview with her here: Meet Pastry Chef Xun.