Preheat the
oven to 325F, Gas 3. Line a baking sheet with or non-stick baking paper.
Put the egg whites in a large bowl and whisk until holding stiff peaks.
Add the salt, cornflour, vinegar and vanilla essence; whisk again until
stiff. Gently whisk in half the sugar, then carefully fold in the rest.
Spoon the meringue on to the baking sheet and swirl into an 20cm or 8"
round with the back of a large spoon.
Bake the
meringue for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 300F, Gas 2
and bake for a further 40 minutes until the meringue is crisp and dry.
Transfer to a serving plate while still warm, then leave to cool. When
ready to serve, fill with whipped cream, chunks of pineapple and halved
strawberries and decorate with strawberry leaves, if you have them. You can also
cook this in a deep, 20cm loose based cake tin. Cover the base with
non-stick baking paper and grease the sides. This is a gooey pavlova
which doesn't usually hold a perfect shape, but it has a wonderful
mallowy texture.
