Pavlova with Raspberries and Sea Buckthorn

How to prepare pavlova with raspberries and sea buckthorn

1. Wash well, dry well and then degrease with a slice of lemon the bowl in which you will beat the egg whites (including the whisk and other accessories, if using a stand mixer). Put the egg whites with a pinch of salt in the bowl and start beating them. When you have a dense white foam, start adding the powdered sugar, one tablespoon at a time, then pause to let it incorporate well before moving to the next tablespoon. When you've added half the sugar, add one teaspoon of vinegar. Add the rest of the sugar, still gradually, one tablespoon at a time. At the end, add the other teaspoon of vinegar. Beat the foam for one more minute. Now, it should hold on the whisk and be glossy. If it isn't, continue beating.
2. Place parchment paper on the oven tray. Draw a circle on the paper (20 cm diameter) and place the meringue in the center. Using a wide pastry spatula, shape it into a dome. With the spatula held parallel to the tray, pull from bottom to top on the meringue all around to create a regular edge, like tulip petals. With the back of a spoon, make an indentation in the middle, like a crater, to have room for filling.
3. Put the meringue in the oven at 130°C for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Do not open the oven during this time. The meringue will become slightly cream-colored on the outside with a very crispy crust. Inside it will remain white and have a marshmallow-like consistency. Turn off the oven and let the meringue cool inside the oven. This step is mandatory, otherwise the meringue may crack or collapse.
4. Carefully peel the parchment paper from under the meringue, pulling gently without breaking the base. This is the hardest step. If small cracks appear in the meringue, it's okay! Place the meringue on a serving platter.
   * The cooled meringue can be stored in the refrigerator in a container with a lid or covered with foil until serving time
5. For the sea buckthorn syrup, put the sea buckthorn berries and 50ml water in a small pot. Boil for 5 minutes until the berries are soft. Squeeze the contents of the pot through cheesecloth to extract as much juice as possible from the berries. You should have about 100ml juice at the end. Add the sugar and boil for another 5 minutes until you have a thick syrup. Cool and store in the refrigerator until needed. When cold, it will thicken further, becoming like honey.
7. For the raspberry coulis, blend the raspberries in a food processor or blender (or with an immersion blender) until pureed. Pass this puree through a fine sieve (a tea strainer for example) to remove the seeds. Add 2 teaspoons of sea buckthorn syrup to the coulis and mix. Store in the refrigerator until needed.
8. Whip the cream only up to 30 minutes before serving the dessert. Beat until it holds on the whisk. Pipe it nicely into the crater of the Pavlova. Pour the raspberry coulis over the cream. Then drizzle sea buckthorn syrup (you don't need to use it all, add to taste as it's tart and slightly bitter).
9. Arrange the fresh raspberries on top, leaving the cream visible around the edges. Decorate with mint leaves and dust powdered sugar over the raspberries.

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