Get It - Dec 2012

Get Fruity
holiday
For the
tooth
sweet
Delightful alternative
to the traditional
Christmas fruitcake
One of our favourite things about
Christmas is undoubtedly good food.
Delicious feasts prepared over days, it
can be baked, roasted, poached, peeled,
mashed or even liquidised, and we love
it.
Especially when it comes to dessert.
Unfortunately, unless there has been
a disaster in the kitchen in need of a fire
extinguisher, Zululanders are not likely
to get the white Christmas pictured on
all our cards.
In fact, even Santa Claus, donning his
thick black boots and fleecy red suit,
dreads visiting the Zululand Observer
each year to light the Christmas tree.
At Christmas time, the heat is on in
Zululand
For that reason we have searched
far and wide for an alternative to the
heavy Christmas fruitcake that our
grandparents loved so much; something
lighter and cooler to grace your dining
table come December 25.
Chef Siza Ngcongo from the
Umfolozi Casino Resort
recommends a delicious Pavlova for
such an occasion.
‘It is fresh and delicious and is not
heavy, so it complements a Christmas
meal perfectly.
‘Also, it is easy to prepare and will
make you look like a culinary whizz.’
Step 1
Before you do anything, make your
meringue according to method
itemised. Remember to leave the
meringue in the oven to cool.
Remove the grease-proof paper and
place on a plate.
Step 2
Whip up your pouring cream with
some sugar and vanilla essence to
create a light and fluffy chantilly.
Just be careful not to overdo it – no
one wants butter on their meringue!
You can also prepare your fruit by
slicing or dicing as you desire.
Step 3
Gently spoon the chantilly cream
over the meringue and arrange the
fruit as you desire.
Serve immediately.
Ingredients:
4 cups egg whites at room
temperature
2 cups castor sugar
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups normal sugar
5 cups pouring cream
Assorted seasonal fresh fruit.
Making your
meringue
1 - Preheat the oven to (180°C) and
place the rack in the middle of the
oven. Line a baking tray with greaseproof
paper and draw a circle and
sprinkle with sugar.
2 - In a clean and dry large sized metal
bowl, beat the egg whites with a clean
and dry electric mixer on medium
speed, until the whites form soft peaks.
3 - Gently sprinkle the castor sugar
and vinegar into the egg whites, one
teaspoon at a time. It is important to
remember not to add all the sugar
at once and never stop beating the
eggs until you finish the sugar. Your
egg whites should now be glossy, stiff
peaks.
4 - Sprinkle the cornstarch on the
meringue and fold in gently with a
plastic spatula. Add the vanilla and
gently fold the mixture again.
5 - Now gently spread the meringue in
the circle on the foil to make a circular
base. Make sure the edges of the
meringue are slightly higher than the
centre so you have a very slight well in
the middle.
6 - Bake the meringue for about 25 min
at 180°C and then for an additional 30
minutes at 160°C, or until it goes a light
golden brown.
7 - At this point, turn off the oven, but
leave the meringue inside with the
door slightly open until the meringue
cools completely. When you turn the
oven off, the meringue will still look
‘wet’ and uncooked. It is cooked and as
it cools it will begin to crack slightly and
look crunchy.
Photographer: Megan Erasmus
00 20 Get It Zululand June December 09 12