Eton mess

pukkamum

I am intending to make an eton mess to take to a festival on friday i have managed to get loads of cheap strawberries and rasberries and i thought to freeze them before i make it but could i make the whole thing and freeze that?
I thought that way i could take it out of freezer fri morn and it would defrost ready for eating at tea time?
Any thoughts on this?
Will it freeze okay?
Also help with quantities would be great i am making it for 14 people x

Bongedone

Tricky one. You can buy frozan pavlova and it is the same but broken.

grunnie

It tastes better with berries that have been frozen as the juice runs a bit and makes it taste less dry. Yummy :j

zarazara

yummmmmm one of my favorite desserts .The raspberries will freeze ok but the strawberries will turn to soggy mush when thawed. could you just take the ingredients separately in continers, frozen raspberries, frozen or chiiled cream, chilled strawberries, merangues and simply assemble the eton mess when its needed? it will take several hours for the rspberries and cream to thaw. might be better to chill instead.

Idiophreak

pukkamum wrote: »

Also help with quantities would be great i am making it for 14 people x

Depends how generous you wanna be with the portions, I guess.

I'll use something like half a pint of cream, 3 meringue nests (yes, I know I should make my own), light sprinkling of sugar and around a box full - whatever size the box is in Mr Ts:) of strawberries or raspberries (maybe 2/3 if strawberries, actually)

That serves me and the GF, but gives us a full bowlfull - probably 2 or 3 times the amount we should eat and probably around 4x more than you'd eat if you served it in glasses etc as a pudding...

(I know, we're naughty - but we're a couple that *really like* eton mess )

Stephen_Leak

Again, my all time favourite dessert. Try this recipe, times 7? Mind you, no matter how much you make, it's never enough!

ETON MESS

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

450g of fresh strawberries
1 tablespoon of sugar
250g of meringue
250ml of cream

METHOD

Wash the strawberries, remove any stalks and chop them into quarters. Break or chop the meringue into rough 2cm (1 inch) pieces.

Put the strawberries in a bowl. Sprinkle over the sugar. Mix together.

Pour the cream into another bowl. Lightly whip the cream. Don’t over-do it: it should still be pourable.

Add the strawberries to the cream, or vice versa. Add the meringue pieces. Mix together and serve.

ADDITIONS & ALTERNATIVES

Use ready-made meringue, especially if it’s broken and reduced in price.

If you make your own meringue, this is the dish to practice with. If they weep, crack or even collapse, you can still use them in this. However, you do have to make it a day in advance.

For the romantic version, top with a large strawberry and offer this to your partner.

An authentic Eton mess uses strawberries, but other summer fruits work well.

However, even Heston Blumenthal has had to concede that Eton mess is "quite simply impossible to improve upon".

HISTORICAL NOTES

Eton mess originated at Eton College in the 1930’s, when a mixture of either strawberries or bananas with cream or ice cream, all stirred together (hence the name "mess"), was served in the school’s "sock shop" (tuck shop). One anecdotal story is that the dessert was ‘invented’ by a Labrador dog, when it sat on a picnic basket in the back of a car. With the later addition of the meringue, it has evolved into the unashamedly wicked, yet still quintessentially English, summer dessert. It is traditionally served at Eton College's annual prize-giving celebration picnic on what is still called the "Fourth of June", despite actually taking place on the last Wednesday in May.

Idiophreak

Quite agree with heston on that - my gf made a slightly fancier version a couple of weeks back - and it was very nice, but I really feel the "original" flavours of the cream, the strawberries and the meringue really don't need fiddling around with - they're perfect just as they are

Gingernutmeg

Idiophreak wrote: »

3 meringue nests (yes, I know I should make my own)

I don't think I've ever met a chef who actually bothers to make their own meringues for Eton mess, so don't feel guilty! The shop bought ones are much drier than homemade, and they just seem to work better in this recipe. And think of all the Eton-mess eating time you're giving yourself by using shop-bought rather than making your own ...

cherydee

Making a meal for the family tomorrow...on their return from holiday. Normally, they love my Raspberry Summer Pudding, but for a change thought I would have a go at making Eton Mess. Worried incase it does not turn out right....can anyone tell me which is best raspberries (frozen) or strawberries and please tell me I cannot make a mess of it (excuse the pun)
Anyone got an easy recipe !

cardiogirl

http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/eton-mess-19

This is Nigella's & is lovely & very easy. I couldn't get any pomegranate juice last time I made it, so left it out & it was still yummy.

cherydee

Thanks I've printed this off. Shame I went out today and bought double cream !!