Mango and Passion Fruit Australian Eton Mess
The classic British dessert gets a tropical twist in this mango and passion fruit Australian Eton mess. It's really easy to prepare, and feels both light and indulgent at the same time, made with fresh fruit, meringue and cream.
Australia is a true foodie melting pot with influences from around the world.
Thanks to the many different immigrant populations, all of the larger cities have restaurants that give you access to authentic dishes from around the globe.
What defines Australian cuisine?
Australian cuisine, largely as a result of its history, can be very difficult to define.
There are some aboriginal foods, often called "bush tucker", as well as a few modern creations that are truly Australian, like lamingtons and pavlova (although New Zealanders also lay claim to the latter).
Often, you'll find Australian chefs creating fusion dishes drawing on different cuisines but using local ingredients.
In modern Australian cooking, much of the influence is from its closer neighbors in Asia. However many dishes that are considered more traditional have a strong British influence, like fish and chips, meat pies and sausage rolls.
Sometimes, these traditional dishes take on a local twist as well, and this Australian Eton mess is a classic example.
The original Eton mess is a classic British dessert made from cream, meringue and fruit - typically strawberries. It is said to have been created by accident at the renowned Eton college, hence the name.
Being such a vast country with different climate regions, Australia produces a huge variety of produce. Tropical fruits like mango and passion fruit grow very well in certain areas and are quite popular fruits.
How to choose and store passion fruit
One of the slightly tricky things with passion fruit is that you can't see the part that you eat, so it can be hard to know whether you are choosing a good fruit or not.
However, there are a couple of tricks.
First, look for passionfruit that are relatively plump and with minimal wrinkles. Particularly when they are not local they may seem slightly shriveled, but if you can find fruit with a more smooth flesh is likely a fresher fruit, so it is worth looking for.
Secondly, feel the weight of them in your hand. The heavier it feels for its size, the more juicy pulp it has inside. So you are looking for heavy-feeling fruit.
You can store the fruit on the counter for around 2 weeks, especially if cool, or put them in a plastic bag in the fridge to keep a week or two longer.
When you want to use them, if you are using the pulp in a dish like this, the easiest thing is to cut them in half through the middle and scoop the seeds and other pulp away from the edge into a small bowl.
You may want to break up the pulp a little with a spoon (or your hands) to stop it from clumping and make it easier to eat.
Making this tropical Eton mess
This dessert comes together easily as all you do is cut up the mango, break up the meringue and whip the cream with a little sugar and vanilla.
You can do each of these ahead of time, but I'd recommend leaving the assembly until you are ready to serve. The cream and fruit can make the meringue soften so to keep it more crisp, it's best to only mix before serving.
While this dessert is a little indulgent with the cream and meringue, it still tastes relatively light due to all the fruit in there as well.
It might be less elegant than some desserts, but it has a wonderful mix of flavors and textures that is sure to delight.
Mango and Passion Fruit Australian Eton Mess
The classic British dessert gets a tropical twist in this mango and passion fruit Australian Eton mess. Made with fresh fruit, meringue and cream.
Ingredients
- 1 mango (or 2 if small), approx 1 cup diced
- 2 passion fruit, approx ¼ cup passion fruit pulp
- 4 small meringue nests (or homemade meringue using 1 egg/2 oz sugar)*
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon confectioner's (powdered) sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Peel the mango and remove the flesh from the stone/pit. Cut the flesh into a relatively small dice.
- Cut the passion fruit in half through the middle and scoop out the pulp with a spoon. Break up any larger pieces of pulp.
- Break up the meringues into smallish pieces, roughly bite-sized.
- Put the cream, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk until it becomes soft-peak stiffness.
- Fold the meringue pieces into the whipped cream.
- Divide roughly half of the mango between four glasses/serving dishes (around 2 tablespoon in each). Top with some of the cream-meringue mixture (using roughly half) then add another layer of mango, reserving a little for the top.
- Top each with the remaining cream mixture. Then spoon the passion fruit equally between each glass and top with the reserved mango pieces.
Notes
*To make your own meringue: Preheat your oven to 300-310F/150-160C and line a baking sheet with parchment. Beat an egg white until relatively firm then add the 2oz sugar, a little at a time, beating after each addition. Spoon the mixture into 4-5 scoops on the parchment and bake for around 40 minutes until they are dry and sound hollow. Turn off the oven and allow them to cool in the oven before using.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 304Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g
Caroline lived and traveled various places before settling in Cambridge, MA. She still fits in some travel with her family, but often settles for traveling through food instead. She shares her recipes at CarolinesCooking.com, where there's plenty of international inspiration using seasonal ingredients, as well as creative recipes for all to enjoy. Caroline is originally from Scotland, where she grew up hiking and skiing, both things she still loves to do when her two young boys give her a chance. You can follow along with her cooking adventures on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.
