Strawberry Gatalova

STRAWBERRY GATLOVA

By Juliet Sear

Makes 10 to 12 portions

This eye-catching stack of thin, crisp meringue circles looks like a pretty gateau. It’s also naturally gluten free. Layered with a yoghurt filling, it’s quite a bit lighter than a cream-heavy pavlova and much more impressive looking too. The addition of the beautiful Gariguette strawberries make it something truly special. Dipping some whole strawberries in the melted chocolate makes for a particularly show-stopping decoration.

Ingredients: 5 medium egg whites at room temperature A pinch of sea salt 250g of white caster sugar 1 tsp of vanilla extract 300g of dark chocolate, melted and cooled 600g of thick, Greek-style yoghurt 2 tablespoons of honey 2 tablespoons icing sugar 500g of Gariguette strawberries – 10 to 12 should be left whole for dipping, the rest should be sliced evenly into pieces about the thickness of a pound coin Equipment: Large baking sheets, lined with baking parchment. I used three baking sheets, each of which accommodated two 18cm round circles with a little room in between Electric hand whisk (a balloon whisk will work, but will take much longer) Bain-marie or microwave oven

Method: To prepare the baking sheets, draw around an 18cm (7 inch) round cake board or similar to create five circles. Turn the paper over to prevent any pen being transferred onto the meringue rounds. To make the meringue, heat the oven to 120°C. Whisk the egg whites and sea salt to stiff peaks, then add the sugar 1 tbsp at a time, whisking well between each addition. Whisk the vanilla in at the end. You should then have a stiff and glossy mixture.

Spoon the meringue equally onto your prepared trays with your circles already drawn. Carefully spread the meringue with a palette knife until each circle is filled and you have an even thin layer of meringue.

Place in the oven for 20 minutes then reduce to 100°C and cook for another 30 to 40 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave in the oven to cool completely – you can do this two or three days in advance if you wish as long as you keep the meringues wrapped and airtight. When ready to assemble, gently melt the chocolate in a bain-marie or a microwave oven until smooth and glossy, then leave to cool a little. If you wish to dip a few whole strawberries in chocolate to add to the top, do this now – place them onto a piece of baking parchment while the chocolate sets. Paint four of the cooked meringue discs with a layer of melted chocolate. To make the yoghurt cream filling, whisk together the yoghurt, honey and icing sugar. To assemble, place a chocolate-covered disc on a cake plate or stand and add some of the yoghurt filling to thickly cover the meringue. Add a layer of sliced strawberries to cover, then add the next meringue disc. Repeat for all the meringues, leave the bare one for the top. Decorate with the reserved strawberries, sliced in half, and some of the chocolate-coated whole strawberries, if using. Best served as soon as possible, and at most within a couple of hours.