Recipe of the month: The Grazing Goat

This dish contains all of the hallmarks of the classic Eton mess, with a twist on the presentation. There are a few important things to know before you begin. Firstly, to give the jelly time to set, make the components the day before. Secondly, when making meringues ensure your bowls and whisks are scrupulously clean, as any oil will hinder the egg whites whipping up, giving heavy and hard meringues. Lastly, you will need an electric mixer for this recipe. I have suggested making six meringues for a party of four—this gives you a chance to break two of them while scooping out the filling.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

For the elderflower jelly —200ml boiling water —100ml elderflower cordial —2 leaves of gelatine (if using the smaller leaves available at supermarkets, follow the packet directions to softly set 300ml of liquid, or if using powdered gelatine, use half of a sachet)

For the meringues —4 large organic free range egg whites, room temperature —250g caster sugar —A pinch of salt

For the elderflower whipped cream —300ml whipping cream —60ml elderfower cordial

For the roasted strawberries —500g fresh English strawberries, rinsed —80g caster sugar

Method

Soak the gelatine in cold water until pliable. If using powdered gelatine, soak in the same amount of cold water until swollen and the water is absorbed. Add the gelatine to the boiling water, stir until dissolved, then add the cordial. Set in a small container in the fridge overnight.

To make the meringues, heat the oven to 100C and lower the fan to the minimum setting. Place the egg whites, caster sugar and salt in a medium metal bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water, ensuring the bowl does not touch the water directly. Whisk the egg whites non-stop until they are warmed through and the sugar has dissolved. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk on full speed for 5 minutes, until the egg whites form stiff shiny peaks. Transfer to a large piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper and use a little of the meringue to stick the paper down. Pipe six large domes, approximately 8cm in diameter and 5cm high, 5cm apart. Bake undisturbed for 2 hours. Remove from the oven and let cool for a moment, then gently remove and discard the insides of each meringue using a dessert spoon, leaving a hollow shell approximately 1cm thick. Return the shells to the oven and bake for a further 2 hours until crisp.

Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks, then fold in the cordial. Store in the fridge.

For the roasted strawberries, preheat the oven to 180C. Reserve two strawberries for decoration. Slice the rest widthways, 5mm in thickness. Lay out in a single layer on a small baking sheet and sprinkle with the caster sugar. Roast for 5-8 minutes, turn the berries over and leave to cool then chill in the fridge. Reserve the syrup for decoration.

To assemble, divide half of the whipped cream between four of the meringues shells, and carefully spread. Spoon a quarter of the jelly into each meringue followed by the roasted strawberries.

Crumble up one of the extra meringues over the strawberries. Pipe the remaining cream over the top. Slice the two reserved strawberries thinly to garnish the tops, then drizzle with a little of the roasted strawberry syrup.