Alpine Strawberries and Mangosteen

Ingredients

Strawberry meringue sticks:

200g cornflour (cornstarch)
100g organic egg whites
100g caster (super fine) sugar
100g pure icing (confectioners') sugar, sifted
10g egg white powder
1g freeze-dried strawberry powder

Plain meringue sticks:

100g cornflour (cornstarch)
50g organic egg whites
50g caster (superfine) sugar
50g pure icing (confectioners') sugar, sifted
5g egg white powder
5g freeze-dried strawberry powder

Champagne chiboust:

200g Champagne
230g cream (35% fat content)
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
100g organic egg yolks
40g caster (superfine) sugar
4g gold strength gelatin leaves
150g Italian meringue

Strawberry sherbet powder:

150g pure icing (confectioners') sugar
20g fizzy textures
2.4g dried lemon peel, ground to a fine powder
10g freeze-dried strawberry powder

To serve

8 small mangosteens
12 alpine strawberries

Method

Strawberry meringue sticks:

Preheat a steamer oven on dry heat to 70 C (158 F)—zero humidity and no fan. Dust the cornflour generously onto four trays lined with silicone baking mats.

Put the egg whites, sugars and egg white powder into a bowl and whisk together lightly. Heat over a saucepan of simmering water to 40 C (105 F). Pour the warm egg mixture into an electric mixer bowl, attach the whisk, then whisk until soft peaks form. Add 10g of the strawberry powder and whisk until combined.

Put the mixture into a piping (icing) bag fitted with a number 9 plain nozzle and pipe one hundred and twenty 20cm long sticks onto the prepared trays. Dust the sticks with the remaining strawberry powder and leave to sit for 20 minutes, then bake for 2 hours, or until dry and crisp. Remove from the oven, leave to cool for 30 minutes and then store the strawberry sticks in an airtight container until required.

Plain meringue sticks:

Preheat the combi oven on dry heat to 70 C (158 F)—zero humidity and no fan. Dust the cornflour generously onto two trays lined with silicone baking mats.

Put the egg whites, sugars and egg white powder into a bowl and whisk together lightly. Heat over a saucepan of simmering water to 40 C (105 F). Pour the warm egg mixture into the electric mixer bowl, attach the whisk, then whisk until soft peaks form.

Put the mixture into a piping (icing) bag fitted with a number 9 plain nozzle and pipe seventy 20cm long sticks onto the prepared trays. Dust the sticks with a little of the strawberry powder and leave to sit for 20 minutes, then bake for 2 hours, or until dry and crisp. Remove from the oven, leave to cool for 30 minutes and then store the meringue sticks in an airtight container until required.

Champagne chiboust:

Place the Champagne in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook until the Champagne reduces to 100mL and then remove from the heat and set aside.

Heat the cream and vanilla in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to a simmer. Place the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk until pale. Temper the boiled cream into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly, and then pour back into the pan. Add the Champagne reduction and heat to 84 C (183 F).

Hydrate the gelatine in iced water and then squeeze out the excess water. Add to the cream mixture and stir to combine.

Strain the mixture through a chinois into a bowl, place over a bowl of ice and cool to 30 C (85 F). Pour the cream mixture into an electric mixer bowl, attach the whisk and whisk on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the Italian meringue and whisk until light and airy. Pour the mixture into a container and refrigerate for 3 hours to set.

Pour the chiboust into a bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a number 12 nozzle and refrigerate until required.

Strawberry sherbet powder:

Combine the ingredients in a Thermomix and blend on high speed until fine.

Sift the powder through a chinois and store in an airtight container in a cool dry place until required.

To serve:

Peel the mangosteens and remove the stones.

Pipe a little of the Champagne chiboust onto the centre of each plate. Place one mangosteen in the middle of the chiboust. Continue to pipe the Champagne chiboust around the mangosteen until it is completely covered. Dust over a little of the strawberry sherbert powder.

Break the strawberry meringue sticks into different size pieces, from 5cm to 20cm, and set aside. Repeat this process with the plain meringue sticks. Layer the sticks, mixing the colours and sizes so that they cross each other, into a stack.

Place the alpine strawberries on the plate, in and around the sticks. Dust over the top with the strawberry sherbet powder.

Serve immediately.

Credits: 'Sepia; The Cuisine of Martin Benn' Published by Murdoch Books

Photo Credits: Recipes and Images from Sepia: The Cuisine of Martin Benn (Murdoch Books) RRP $75 , available now