Eton Mess with Strawberries & Elderflower Cream

Directions
- Preheat oven to 120°C (250°F) and line a large baking sheet with non-stick parchment paper.
- Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until they hold stiff peaks. Add the caster sugar spoonful by spoonful, whisking after each addition until you have a glossy stiff meringue.
- Spoon dollops of the meringue onto the prepared baking sheet and bake on the bottom shelf of the oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Turn off the heat and leave to cool in the oven until the meringues are completely dry.
- Reserve 50 grams of the most attractive strawberries and halve to use for decoration. Take 200 grams of the remaining strawberries and crush with the lemon juice into a thick strawberry compote.
- In a large bowl, whisk the cream with the elderflower cordial until it forms soft peaks.
- Roughly crush three-quarters of the meringues, and fold gently into the remaining chopped strawberries and cream. It’s very important to keep the components distinct and not overmix.
- Spoon the Eton Mess mixture into small glasses, scatter over the remaining crushed meringues, and then decorate with the reserved strawberries and strawberry compote.
- Serve immediately in order to keep the crisp meringue texture. Preferably in a garden while playing croquet on an idyllic English summer day!