Eton Mess

Meringue

1. Preheat the oven to 195 F / 90 C.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites and salt at maximum power until they become foamy.
3. Stir in a tablespoon of caster sugar and the lemon juice.
4. Beat for about 1 minute without reducing the power so that the sugar has time to dissolve in the egg whites.
5. When the egg whites for a soft peak, add the remaining caster sugar and continue whisking at medium speed for 1 minute.
6. When the meringue is firm and shiny, gently add the icing sugar and whisk at low speed for 4 to 5 minutes. The meringue must be very smooth, very white and especially very dense.
7. Place the meringues on a silicone mat or parchment paper, giving them the desired shape, using a piping bag or a teaspoon. Bake for 4 hours.
8. Wait until the oven is completely cold before removing the meringues.

Cream

1. Blend half of the strawberries to make a kind of coulis.
2. Add 1 tablespoon icing sugar and mix again for 2 minutes.
3. Whisk the whipped cream for 1 minute. Gradually add the vanilla extract and the second spoon of icing sugar, and whip until the cream is very thick.

Assembly

1. Cut the remaining strawberries into cubes.
2. Roughly crush the meringues in the salad bowl.
3. In large individual cups, place some cream, coulis, strawberry pieces, and meringue pieces ending with a few diced strawberries on top.
4. Serve immediately or keep for up to 4 hours in the refrigerator before eating.