Malaysian Mess

This is a derivative of the English dessert, the Eton Mess. It is composed of three ingredients: fruit, meringue, and cream. Traditionally, strawberries were the most common fruit used, but any fruit can be substituted, especially bananas or other common and cheaper fruit.

The first references to the dish date back to 1893. It is commonly thought to have been served at Eton College at the end of a cricket match between Eton and Harrow Colleges. The name describes the look of the dessert—literally a mess.

Eton Mess was a dessert commonly served in schools in the 1930s. It initially lacked meringue, which was added later.

This is a tropical take on this dessert. The fruits are local pineapples, caramelized to perfection. This is a beautiful and decadent dessert. The flavours highlight the tropical nature yet maintain the essence of the original dessert. I loved how this turned out!

Malaysia: Recipes from a Family Kitchen is an excellent cookbook with very approachable recipes that highlight the region's flavours, techniques and dishes. Ping Coombes has accumulated some amazing recipes from her home kitchen and from street stalls to put together a definitive collection of the classics and flavours of the land. The traditional flavours emerge strongly, resulting in beautiful flavours. I need to cook from it a lot more!

For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

For the meringues:

4 egg whites

3/4 cup superfine sugar

1/4 desiccated coconut, lightly toasted

For the pineapple compote:

1 pineapple, peeled and cubed

1 star anise

10 black peppercorns

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

Juice of 1 lime

For the whipped coconut cream:

1/4 cup coconut milk

3/4 cup cream

2 tablespoons superfine sugar

To garnish:

Desiccated coconut, lightly toasted

To make the meringues:

Whisk the egg whites with an electric hand egg beater in a spotless bowl until they form soft peaks. While whisking, add the sugar in a thin stream. Beat until you have a thick, glossy mix with stiff peaks. Gently fold in the desiccated coconut.

Heat the oven to 225 ° F.

Add small dollops, about the size of a ping-pong ball, to the sheet on a lined baking sheet. You will get two sheets of dollops. Bake for 2 hours undisturbed. Remove and taste one of the meringues; it should lift off the pan easily and be crisp and light. If they are still undercooked, they will be sticky in the centre and not lift the pan easily. Bake for another 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely. Set aside in an airtight box until needed.

To make the pineapple compote:

Add all the ingredients for the compote to a small pot and cook on low heat. The pineapple will release its juices and form a syrup in the pot. Cook on low heat for 12-15 minutes, until the spices are aromatic and the pineapple is cooked and soft. Remove from the heat, discard the whole spices, and set aside.

For the whipped coconut cream:

Add the coconut milk and cream to a bowl. Whip the mix into a fluffy cream with an electric hand egg beater. Add the sugar and fold in well. Make this just before you serve the dessert.

To serve:

In a glass—a martini glass is perfect—add two pieces of pineapple. Crush a meringue into large bits and layer on top. Add a tablespoon of the cream. Repeat with 4-5 pieces of pineapple, another crushed meringue, and more cream. Garnish with toasted coconut. Repeat for as many servings as you want, working quickly. Serve immediately.