LCBO Food & Drink Spring 2019

KITCHEN ESSENTIALS

BY LUCY WAVERMAN  •  PHOTOGRAPHY BY VINCE NOGUCHI

Snowy white meringues are one of the easiest desserts to make if you remember the rules.

CLASSIC (OR FRENCH) MERINGUES are the easiest and most popular; crisp on the outside, softer inside and perfect as a base for tarts or mounded with fruit and cream. If your meringues are a failure, you can break them up, mix them with whipped cream and raspberries and call it an Eton Mess, an old English dessert that’s still popular today. See page 93 for Classic Meringue recipe and three more simple dessert ideas. SWISS MERINGUES are the basis for flawless buttercreams and the classic topping for lemon meringue pie, because it never weeps. ITALIAN MERINGUES are the most complicated but essential for meringue creations such as meringue baskets and patisserie work. You’ll find recipes for Swiss and Italian Meringues on page 93.

I T A L I A N M E R I N G U E S

TIPS

S W I S S M E R I N G U E S

• I prefer less sugar in my meringues because the texture is lighter. Each egg white will take 3 tbsp (45 mL) sugar (usually 1 ⁄ 4 cup/60 mL is called for). • Separate the eggs by placing them in your hand and allowing the white to drip into a large bowl. Add the yolks to a second bowl to reserve for another use. If you get a piece of yolk into the whites, use a piece of egg shell to remove it. Yolks prevent egg whites from beating up. • Copper bowls and whisks were always used to beat egg whites because the chemical reaction between copper and whites helped them reach new heights. Don’t have a copper bowl? Introduce a pinch of cream of tartar to the mixture and use your electric beaters. That produces the same chemical reaction as copper. The beater must be clean because food particles or grease stop the egg whites from billowing up. • Meringue mixtures are ready for baking when they are thick enough to hold stiff peaks or you can turn over the bowl and the mixture remains inside. • Oven temperature should be 275°F (140°C). This prevents the meringues from browning. If they seem to be browning, turn the temperature down another notch. Bake for an hour and then turn off the oven until it cools.

Do not refrigerate meringues. The dampness in the fridge will cause them to go soggy. Store in a cool place.

Meringues should be made on days with no humidity or in an air‑conditioned kitchen because dampness is their biggest enemy.

C L A S S I C ( F R E N C H ) M E R I N G U E S

Use room-temperature egg whites (they beat up better) and granulated sugar because it makes a slightly firmer meringue.

104  FOOD & DRI NK SPRING 2019