After reading over and over that duck egg whites don’t whip well and can’t be used to make meringue, we decided to put them to the test and make a spring pavlova. The secret is adding lemon juice or vinegar to the mixture. Pavlova usually has one or the other of these to make the meringue center chewy, but putting a bit more acid in helps the proteins in the whites to “denature.” Essentially, the acid helps break down the protein connections in the whites so that they can become fluffy and retain more moisture.
If you don’t want to make the pavlova using duck eggs, check out our recipe for pavlovas back in episode 29. Either one of these recipes should be made ahead of time, and you can make your curd or other fillings ahead of time, too. If you like this recipe you may also like our recipe for lemon curd and our recipe for egg custard.
Duck Egg Pavlova with Strawberry Curd
Ingredients
- Ingredients - Pavlova
- 4 duck egg whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- Whipped cream or dairy free whipped cream
- 1 recipe Strawberry Curd
- Extra strawberries set aside for garnish. Edible flowers. (optiona
Ingredients - Strawberry Curd
- 3 duck egg yolks you can use all 4, but we thought it tasted a bit too eggy that way
- ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup butter or dairy free butter
- 2 cups strawberries washed, trimmed, and sliced into quarters.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet or two with silpats or parchment paper. Draw a roughly 8 inch diameter circle on the paper. If you want a perfect circle, you can use a plate to trace the template for your meringue.
- Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until soft peaks start to form. Continue whisking, slowly adding the sugar a spoonful at a time, until all sugar is incorporated and the meringue is stiff, shiny and holds stiff peaks. Sift the cornstarch over the meringue. Add the lemon juice and using a spatula, gently fold into the meringue mixture.
- Spoon the meringue into the center of your circle. Spread it out to fill the circle, then use a spoon to create a wide bowl in the middle, like a pie shell. Place in the oven and reduce oven heat to 300°F. Cook for 1 hour. Turn off oven and leave pavlova in oven to cool completely.
Strawberry Curd
- Place the strawberries and a splash of water into a saucepan. Cook, stirring often, until the berries have cooked down and resemble thick puree. Set aside to cool a bit.
- Whisk the yolks and sugar together in a medium saucepan. Stir in the cooked strawberries. Add the butter.
- Place the saucepan over a medium heat and continue to stir for about 5 minutes until mixture thickens and just begins to bubble. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
Assembly
- Fill your pavlova shells with the strawberry curd. Top with whipped cream or dairy free whipped cream. Garnish with strawberries and edible flowers. Make it look pretty and enjoy!