Root Pavlova with Summer Fruits

We invited head chef Rob Howell to share a seasonal recipe that captures what Root does best: celebrating the very best of the harvest. His fresh, vibrant pavlova is the perfect finale for a summer evening.

Preheat the oven to 105 degrees celcius.

For the meringue, using an electric whisk and a clean mixing bowl start by whisking the egg whites slightly before adding the sugar bit by bit whisking all the way. Continue whisking until you are left with glossy stiff peeks that will hold when turned upside down.

Place the mix into a pipping bag and cut an inch from the bottom. On a silicone baking matt, pipe 5 meringue/dome
like shapes onto the tray, making sure you eave a good amount of space in between each one as they do expand when cooking.

Using a warm spoon make a divot in the domes.

Place in the oven to cook for 1 hour 15 minutes. When cooked the meringues will be soft in the middle with hard shell surrounding it, when removing from the oven be careful and leave on the tray to cool down. If not using straight away place in a sealed container and keep In a cool, dry place.

Cut up apricots and remove the stones. Place in medium size saucepan with the 80g of sugar, juice of a lemon and the leftover vanilla pod. Cook on low/ medium heat for 10/15 minutes until soft. Let cool slightly before blending into a puree.

Place the cream into a bowl and whip into soft peaks.

With a sharp knife, slit the vanilla pod lengthways. Scrape the seeds out with a knife top. Add the seeds to the cream and fold through.  If using vanilla paste, add half a teaspoons worth.

Now you have everything, when you are ready to serve plate the meringue with a little cream on the bottom of plate to stop sliding, add extra cream on top, spoon over a couple spoonfuls of apricot puree and top with chopped strawberries and raspberries.

Over the coming months we’ll be championing other great chefs from Bristol’s exciting food scene. We’re thrilled to share their incredible recipes and showcase the restaurants that inspire us, all while bringing you dishes you can easily recreate at home.