ETTON MESS and its HISTORY

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOCV2kCp0KE

 ETON MESS ORIGIN

There are a number of stories about how the Eton Mess dessert originated. Some are fact and some are fiction – and this all adds to the fun of the stalwart English pudding. A traditional Eton Mess consists of a mixture of strawberries, broken pieces of meringue and whipped cream. It is also sometimes served with bananas or other pieces of soft fruit too.

Of all the stories relating to the origins of Eton Mess, it’s the story of the dog and the pavlova that is the most commonly recounted. Legend has it that a cricket match was taking place at Eton College in the 1920s. The story goes that a strawberry pavlova was waiting in a picnic basket as an after-match treat for the boys, when an overexcited Labrador sat on the basket and squashed it. Apparently the boys didn’t mind the fact that their dessert had been ruined and ate it anyway!

It’s a fun story to believe, except it has one major flaw…Eton Mess had already been mentioned in old documents almost 30 years before in 1893!

Source : https://www.runnymedehotel.com/blog/the-history-of-eton-mess/

Strawberries are  available all year round in our markets, but since February until August (at least in our region) are at their best.

This is one of the most typical English desserts, easy to make (my favourites).

Purists would insist Eton mess should only contain strawberries, but other British summer berries like raspberries, red and rose currants and even cherries have a touch more sharpness which pairs perfectly with the sweet meringue and rich cream. These homemade meringues are a doddle, but you can also buy them which turns this dessert into a 10-minute-pudding.

Ingredients

1. 1 box strawberries
2. a dash of sugar
3. meringues, broken up
4. cream, softly whipped

Instructions

1. Start by making meringue, or get some at the store.
2. Cut the top of the strawberries and place them in a kitchen bowl. Mash them up along with some sugar. You could also save a few pieces to place on top of the dessert at the end. You can also add some liqueur or other kind of alcohol to the strawberries if you want, but I made mine alcohol free so everyone could enjoy it.
3. Whip the cream. It's important your bowl and whisk are clean, otherwise your cream will not thicken. Add a couple of teaspoons of sugar, and beat it. Remember, it should be softly whipped, which means soft peaks.
4. Get out the glasses you want to serve the Eton Mess in, or get a big bowl everyone can help themselves from. I chose individual glasses.
5. Start by breaking up some meringue and placing it in the bottom of the glass. Then add some cream, and then some crushed strawberries. Add a bit more meringue, a bit more cream and some more strawberries. Top with some fresh strawberries and serve.
6. This dessert should be served immediately, because the meringue will get soft if it's soaking up the moisture from the cream and strawberries. The whole point of adding meringue to this dish, is to add some crunch and texture against the soft cream and strawberries.

By House of Treats

Once assembled the mess should be eaten straight away – the meringue will soften and become chewy rather than crisp if left sitting in the cream.

Source: https://houseoftreats.org/eton-mess/