Eton Mess is a traditional English dessert that is very easy to make.
There are many funny little stories about its invention, but however it was discovered the British love it.
What is Eton Mess made of ?
Eton mess consists of a mixture of strawberries, broken meringue, and whipped double cream. Originally it was made with either strawberries or bananas mixed with ice-cream or cream. The meringue was a later addition. An Eton mess can be made with many other types of summer fruit, but strawberries are regarded as the most traditional.
Eton mess as a part of the British culture.
Eton mess is a traditional English dessert. First mentioned in print in 1893, it is commonly believed to originate from Eton College and is served at the annual cricket match against the pupils of Harrow School.
Another story recounts that the Eton Mess was invented around the 1920s during the annual cricket match, taking place during summer at Eton College. During this match a rather giddy labrador sat upon the picnic basket containing the strawberry pavlova, squashing it. The boys who were playing didn’t care a jot that their dessert had been essentially ruined and ate the thing anyway, preferring it finally to the pavlova. And so the Eton Mess was born and has been served up as a summertime pudding ever since.
The word “mess” may refer to the appearance of the dish, or may be used in the sense of “a quantity of food”. Rather than waste the food, it was simply scooped up off the floor and served, smashed to bits, in individual bowls.
How to make the perfect Eton mess ! Recipe:
To make this recipe (for 4 people) you will need 500g of strawberries, 50g of meringues (eggs + caster sugar), 50g of mascarpone, 20cl of full fat whipping cream and 3 tablespoons of icing sugar.
- Chop half the strawberries and put them in a blender with the icing sugar. Blend until smooth and sieve to remove the seeds.
- Chop the rest of the strawberries and whip up the double cream. Break up the meringues into about one-inch pieces, put them in a mixing bowl, add the strawberries and fold the cream in around them.
- Gently fold in all but 2tbsp of the puree to give a marbled effect. Place the mixture in a serving dish and spoon the rest of the puree over the top.
An electric hand mixer, a hand blender and a bowl will do the job.
Enjoy!
