Meringue: Airy confection is a work of art

Those of you who've read this column in the past may already know that Key Lime Pie is Jack's favorite dessert. You would be correct if you guessed the slice of pie in the photo was the highlight of his lunch on our recent visit to Key West. Since I've written about key lime in the past (as in the citrus fruit, the pie and tangy marinade ingredient) I thought this week I would focus on meringue.

Meringue is an airy confection made from egg whites whipped with sugar and a stabilizer. Note the spelling, so as not to confuse it with Merengue, the national dance of the Dominican Republic. While we often see meringue atop lemon and key lime pie filling, there are a number of other dessert recipes that feature meringue.

The actual process of whipping egg whites is straightforward, but ensuring the perfect texture of your meringue requires attention to a few details. First, always use scrupulously clean utensils and a copper bowl. If you don't have a copper bowl, stainless steel or glass will work. Plastic will not work, because microscopic bits of fats stick to the surface, even when the bowl is meticulously cleaned.

When you beat egg whites, the force of the whipping action unfolds the tightly clumped proteins, and they rearrange into a network around trapped air bubbles. However, if you are too aggressive, liquid is forced out, leaving behind a gritty network of dry egg white. When you beat egg whites in a copper bowl, tiny bits of copper are released from the surface. These form a chemical bond with the egg whites, making them unable to become grainy.

Another option (if a copper mixing bowl isn't within your budget) is to add an acidic ingredient that will change the pH of the egg whites, preventing them from forming the chemical bonds that cause them to become overdried. Options for this in various meringue recipes include cream of tartar, lemon or vinegar. Sometimes you will also see a binding agent (salt or cornstarch) to help with the creation of sturdy, stiff peaks.

Food historians don't agree about the origins of meringue, with claims of invention coming from the Swiss, Italian and French. Cookbooks list charming names for slow-baked whipped egg white confections, from the English "white biskit bread" to the American "forgotten cookies" to the French living in the Loire Valley who refer to them as "pets" (which translates to "farts") for their ephemeral texture.

There are a wide variety of desserts based on meringue, the most complicated of which might be Baked Alaska. Believed to be invented by Chef Ranhofer of Delmonico's restaurant to celebrate the purchase of Alaska in 1867, this dessert demands exacting attention to assemble. In multiple repetitive steps, slices of pound cake are layered with ice cream and jam, and then frozen, before the entire blocky form is coated with meringue and baked for just a few minutes in a very hot oven.

If you'd like to try an easier introduction to meringue, consider forgotten cookies. Their name refers to the baking process, which leaves them in the oven to cool after they've baked. This recipe includes dark chocolate, which creates a rich, moist interior. These get soggy easily, so try to eat them the same day they're baked. For a very forgiving recipe, try the Eton Mess, a mixture of broken meringue, strawberries and whipped cream. Pay no attention to the urban legend about a labrador retriever inventing the Eton Mess when he accidentally sat on a picnic basket holding an elegant dessert awaiting the end of a cricket match.

Forgotten Cookies

3 egg whites
1/4 t cream of tartar
1/2 t salt
1 C sugar
6 oz chopped chocolate*

Preheat oven to 300 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on low until the whites become frothy, about a minute. Add cream of tartar and salt, keeping the mixer on low. Slowly add about 1/4 C sugar with the mixer on low. Increase the speed to medium and gradually add the rest of the sugar. Once all the sugar has been added, increase speed to high; whisk until stiff peaks form and the meringue is glossy. Turn off mixer and gently fold in chocolate, taking care not to deflate the meringue. Spoon 2-inch dollops of meringue onto the baking sheet, spacing them about an inch apart. Bake until hardened on the outside, about 2 hours. To cool, turn off oven and leave meringues inside with the door closed for about an hour. Store in airtight container. *Note – select very high-quality dark chocolate with 60 percent to 70 percent cacao content. DO NOT bake meringues on a rainy day or during times of high humidity.

Eton Mess

4 large egg whites*
pinch salt
1 C sugar
3/4 lb strawberries
1 T Balsamic vinegar
1 T sugar
1/2 C heavy cream

Preheat oven to 225 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

In a copper or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites with salt until they begin to hold soft peaks.

Add the sugar gradually, beating until peaks are stiff and glossy. Spoon the meringue into 4 rounds about 3 inches in diameter.

Place the baking pan on the middle oven rack and bake until crisp and firm, about 90 minutes.

Turn off oven and leave meringues inside with the door closed for about 2 hours. Stem, core and slice strawberries into a mixing bowl. Stir in 1 T sugar and Balsamic vinegar; set aside for 20 minutes to macerate. Beat heavy cream until soft peaks form.

To serve, break meringues into pieces into four small bowls. Spoon whipped cream over the meringue and top with strawberries. *Note – save the egg yolks to make Hollandaise sauce.