Eggs+-+Shana

﻿Pavlova with Lemon Curd and Berries (2)

For meringue:

 * 1 cup superfine granulated sugar: ﻿The amount of sugar added to the egg whites is what determines if it will be a hard or soft meringue. For a hard meringue (which the Pavlova is) the ratio of 4 Tbs/egg white is used. Many recipes will call for confectioner's sugar instead of granulated sugar for more even distribution. (1) In this recipe using a superfine sugar should achieve the same desired result.
 * 1 tablespoon cornstarch: ﻿ ﻿Cornstarch is added to prevent weeping ("The escape of liquid to the bottom of a meringue or the formation of pores filled with liquid (1)".) Weeping may be caused by either under beating the eggs or placing a meringue on top of a cold surface (this will prevent full coagulation) such as pie filling.
 * 3 large egg whites at room temperature 30 minutes: ﻿Egg whites are the basis for the meringue and are needed to create the egg foam. Egg whites can be beaten and create a foam that increases six to eight times the original volume. It is crucial to avoid getting any egg yolk in the mixture; the fat from the yolk will interfere with the foam formation. Room temperature eggs whip more easily and create a greater volume due to a decreased surface tension of the whites. (1)
 * 3 tablespoons cold water: ﻿The addition of liquid will increase the volume of the foam (sometimes up to 40%). Even though the volume increases the stability of the egg foam will decrease. (1) Since volume is a major component in the Pavlova this is why the water is added.
 * 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar: ﻿Vinegar is added as an acid in order to decrease the pH of the egg whites. With a decreased pH the egg proteins will become unstable and will denature quicker achieving a foam more easily. (1)

For filling:

 * 2/3 cup granulated sugar: ﻿Sugar not only adds sweetness to the curd but it also increases the coagulation temperature, the coagulation temperature of beaten eggs is typically 156F. (1)
 * 1 tablespoon cornstarch: ﻿Cornstarch helps evenly distribute the sugar as well as acts as a thickening agent to the curd.
 * 1/8 teaspoon salt: Salt adds flavor but will lower the coagulation temperature. (1)
 * 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice: Lemon juice provides the the major flavor profile for the curd, however it will also decrease the coagulation temperature. (1)
 * 1/2 stick unsalted butter: ﻿﻿Butter contains the fat in the curd and helps to improve the taste. During the emulsifying process the egg yolk is used as an emulsifying agent to bind the butter to the lemon juice.
 * 3 large egg yolks: Egg yolks are used as the emulsifying agent in the curd. "Lecithin, found in egg yolks, is a natural emulsifying agent: one end of the molecule attracts water, while the other is drawn to fat. (1)"
 * 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest: Lemon zest adds texture and natural lemon oils to the curd, it also improves physical appearance of the dish by indicating that fresh lemon was used.
 * 1 cup heavy cream: The heavy cream is beaten to incorporate air and volume. When this is folded into the curd it allows the curd to increase is volume and lightness. Not adding this component would yield a heavier more gel like curd.
 * 4 cups mixed berries: ﻿Fresh berries are an excellent way to top off this recipe as well as providing multiple servings of fruit. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or blackberries could all be used.

Preparation
Make meringue:
 * Preheat oven to 300°F with rack in middle. Meringues are usually baked at a low temperature (225F) for a longer period of time (1). Due to the large volume of this meringue it may need to bake at a slightly higher temperature to achieve doneness. ﻿ Trace an approximately 7-inch circle on a sheet of parchment paper. Turn parchment over and put on a baking sheet.
 * Whisk together superfine sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. ﻿Whisking these two ingredients together allows them to more evenly distribute throughout the egg foam when being beaten.
 * Beat whites using an electric mixer at medium speed until they hold soft peaks. Beating egg whites causes the link between protein molecules to break. The break in the link allows the protein molecules in the white to denature. When these denatured proteins come back together they trap air in their structure creating a foam with a higher volume. (1) [[image:soft_peaks.jpg width="128" height="93" align="left" caption="Soft Peaks"]]
 * Add water (whites will loosen) and beat until whites again hold soft peaks. As stated above, the addition of liquid is used to help increase the volume of the foam but since it decreases stability the whites need to be beaten again in order become more stable.
 * Increase speed to medium-high and beat in sugar mixture 1 tablespoon at a time. After all sugar has been added, beat 1 minute more. ﻿Sugar is used as a stabilizer when creating a foam but it also inhibits the coagulation of the proteins when making a foam. Often times if the sugar is added too quickly or at the beginning of the recipe, the egg whites will need to be whipped longer in order to get the stiff peaks. Adding the sugar gradually and slowly will help achieve stiff peaks faster. (1)
 * Add vinegar and beat at high speed until meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks, about 5 minutes (longer if using hand-held mixer). ﻿The addition of the acid is used to help the proteins become unstable and achieve the desired foam quicker. [[image:stiff_peaks.jpg width="116" height="116" align="left" caption="Stiff Peaks"]](1)


 * Gently spread meringue inside circle on parchment, making edge of meringue slightly higher than center (the "crater" is for curd and fruit). Bake until meringue is pale golden and has a crust, about 45 minutes (inside will still be marshmallow-like). Heating the egg foam causes the air cells trapped inside the protein structure to expand. The proteins coagulate and solidify the egg protein, creating a stable structure. (1)
 * Turn oven off and prop door open slightly with a wooden spoon. Cool meringue in oven 1 hour.
 * Gently spread meringue inside circle on parchment, making edge of meringue slightly higher than center (the "crater" is for curd and fruit). Bake until meringue is pale golden and has a crust, about 45 minutes (inside will still be marshmallow-like). Heating the egg foam causes the air cells trapped inside the protein structure to expand. The proteins coagulate and solidify the egg protein, creating a stable structure. (1)
 * Turn oven off and prop door open slightly with a wooden spoon. Cool meringue in oven 1 hour.
 * Gently spread meringue inside circle on parchment, making edge of meringue slightly higher than center (the "crater" is for curd and fruit). Bake until meringue is pale golden and has a crust, about 45 minutes (inside will still be marshmallow-like). Heating the egg foam causes the air cells trapped inside the protein structure to expand. The proteins coagulate and solidify the egg protein, creating a stable structure. (1)
 * Turn oven off and prop door open slightly with a wooden spoon. Cool meringue in oven 1 hour.
 * Gently spread meringue inside circle on parchment, making edge of meringue slightly higher than center (the "crater" is for curd and fruit). Bake until meringue is pale golden and has a crust, about 45 minutes (inside will still be marshmallow-like). Heating the egg foam causes the air cells trapped inside the protein structure to expand. The proteins coagulate and solidify the egg protein, creating a stable structure. (1)
 * Turn oven off and prop door open slightly with a wooden spoon. Cool meringue in oven 1 hour.

Make Lemon curd while meringue bakes: Stir together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, then add lemon juice and butter. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, whisking, then continue to simmer, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Lightly beat yolks in a small bowl and whisk in 1/4 cup lemon mixture, (a small amount of the lemon mixture is whisked into the yolks at first to gently raise the temperature to prevent the eggs from scrambling, once the temperature of the eggs comes to the same temperature as the rest of the mixture it can then be added back in) ﻿ then whisk into remaining lemon mixture in saucepan. Reduce heat to low and cook, whisking constantly, until curd is thickened, about 2 minutes (do not let boil). When the egg yolks are heated the protein in them denatures and then recombines to form of proteins. When this sets or coagulates it forms a gel like property (1). Transfer to a bowl and stir in zest. Chill, surface covered with parchment, until cool, about 1 1/2 hours. Assemble Pavlova: Beat heavy cream until it just holds stiff peaks, then fold 1/4 cup beaten cream into curd to lighten. Folding the beaten cream in will help add volume and lightness to the curd, creating a moose like consistency. Spoon lemon curd into meringue and mound berries on top. Serve remaining whipped cream on the side.

Cooks' notes: •For best results, keep oven door closed as much as possible during baking. (Opening the oven can cause a draft which might cause the meringue to loose volume) •Meringue can be made 2 days ahead and frozen, wrapped well in plastic. Thaw before serving. •Curd can be made 2 days ahead and chilled.

 ﻿ Here is a video demonstrating a similar recipe on making Pavlova with Lemon Curd (4):
==media type="youtube" key="dk97rtR3LPg" height="390" width="640" align="center" ==


__ Text References: __ 1. Brown A. Understanding Food: Principles & Preparation, Fourth Edition. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth; 2011, 249-269.

__Web References:__ 2. [] 3. [] 4. "YouTube- "Pavlova with Lemon Curd and Fresh Berries by Chef Bee Choo Char Gio" YouTube-MyNSLC. Web 25 Aug 2010.