Pavlova Roulade With Watermelon & Strawberry
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Serves: 6
This is best filled just before serving
- 130g/4.6ozs. egg whites (around 4 eggs), room temperature
- 200g/7ozs caster or superfine sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 tablespoon cornflour/fine cornstarch
- 1 teaspoons white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
For filling and topping
- 300ml/10.6fl ozs cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 80g/3ozs. strawberry jam
- a few drops rosewater
- 150g/5ozs. strawberries
- 150g/5ozs. watermelon
- 2 tablespoons silvered pistachios
- Rose petals
- 1 teaspoon apricot jam
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 180C/350F and line a Swiss roll or lamington tin (24x30x5cms/9.4x12x2inches) with parchment on the base and going two inches up the sides. Use a spotlessly clean bowl and whisk place the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl. Start to whisk until you get soft peaks. Then gradually add in the sugar while whisking. Then add the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla. It is ready when you get stiff, glossy peaks and can turn the bowl upside down and the meringue doesn't move.
Step 2 -Spread out in the baking tin using an angled spatula to smooth over. Bake for 10-12 minutes until you get some even browning on top. While it is baking take another sheet of baking paper around the same size and sprinkle 1 heaped tablespoon of sugar coating the whole sheet. When the pavlova is ready place it browned side down on the sugared parchment and remove the back parchment. Allow to cool for 20 minutes until completely cold.
Step 3 -While it is cooling whip the cream and vanilla until you get thick, billowy peaks that can keep their shape. Add the strawberry jam and rosewater and swirl through with a spoon. Spread the cream over the roulade leaving 1 inch at the end uniced and reserving 4 tablespoons of the cream. Dice half of the strawberries and watermelon and add cubes in the cream. Then start at one of the shorter ends and roll up the cream. Dollop the reserved 4 tablespoons of cream down the top centre. Halve the rest of the strawberries and then cut the remaining watermelon into batons and top the cream with the fruit. Glaze the strawberries with apricot jam. Add pistachios and rose petals and trim the ends for presentation.