Recipe of the week: A spectacular but easy-to-make summer dessert

A Pavlova is the “perfect vehicle for a whole season of berries and cherries and apricots and peaches,” said Amy Scattergood in the Los Angeles Times. Never mind the incongruous name of this rustic, oversize dessert. The

legendary Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova visited both Australia and New Zealand in the early part of the 20th century, and both countries claim to have created this dish to honor her, regarding it as their national dessert. “Disarmingly easy” to create, the Pavlova presents an abundance of fruit floating on a free-form meringue layered with a recklessly arrayed mound of whipped cream.

Berry Pavlova With Vanilla Whipped Cream and Pistachios

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1/4 cup shelled pistachios

2 pints strawberries

1/2 pint blueberries

1/2 pint blackberries

1/2 pint raspberries

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp Banyuls (or balsamic) vinegar

1 pint whipping cream, chilled

1 vanilla bean, split

1 Pavlova shell

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place pistachios on baking sheet, toast until lightly golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside. Rinse strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries. Hull and halve strawberries. Place berries into bowl with sugar and vinegar. Set aside to macerate for 30 minutes. Pour cold whipping cream into large bowl. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into cream. Using standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment or hand-held mixer, whisk cream until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Chill until ready for assembly.

When ready to assemble, place cooled Pavlova shell onto large platter. Mound whipped cream in center, then spoon macerated berries over cream. Crush pistachios slightly (using rolling pin); sprinkle pistachios over top. Cut into slices at table. Serves 10 to 12.

Pavlova shell

Adapted from a recipe by Jenni Barnett.

8 egg whites, at room temperature

Pinch of salt

2-1/2 cups superfine sugar

4 tbsp cornstarch

2 tsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Draw 8-inch circle on sheet of parchment paper and line baking sheet with parchment. In standing mixer fitted with whisk or using hand-held mixer, beat egg whites and salt on medium-high speed until peaks form, about 3 minutes. With machine on medium speed, whisk in sugar a little at a time, then turn machine back to high to fully incorporate. Add cornstarch and whisk to blend, then add vinegar and, when incorporated, whisk in vanilla.

Pile meringue onto parchment paper, using spatula to spread meringue around circle. Pile sides slightly higher than middle. Put into oven, and immediately reduce temperature to 300 degrees. Bake meringue for 1-1/2 hours, then turn oven off and prop open door. Let meringue cool down completely. It can be stored uncovered for several hours.