This is a dessert that I discovered when I was researching for my cookbook, The London Cookbook.
This is an Italian riff on the British classic that I happen to love quite as much as the original strawberry classic. It’s based on a version I had at Locanda Locatelli, a truly spectacular Italian restaurant in London. If the name Locatelli sounds familiar, it’s because the chef, Giorgio Locatelli is the author of Made in Italy, the comprehensive tome on Italian cooking.
Eton Mess is a delicious improvisation of broken up meringue, berries, and whipped cream. Giorgio omits the berries and opts instead for a homemade Amalfi lemon curd and sorbet. At Locanda Locatelli, he includes a foam and cookies and makes his sorbet from scratch. I find the foam and cookies an unnecessary distraction, and I tend to buy the lemon sorbet. My latest obsession, however, is Jeni’s Lemon Buttermilk Frozen Yogurt (https://shop.jenis.com/frozen-yogurts/lemon-buttermilk-frozen-yogurt-pint/), which gives just the right creamy tanginess here. The lemon curd is from another recipe in my book and comes thanks to the restaurant DuckSoup. Having tried it once, it is now the only lemon curd I make.
If you love lemon curd as much as I do—it’s terrific on scones, toast, English muffins and eaten directly from the jar—double the recipe. It will keep in the fridge for a few days or even longer if you use a sterile canning jar.
Mess is meant to be as random, as its meaning suggests. If you don’t have sorbet, skip it. If you prefer a different ratio of cream to curd, do it your way. If you like your meringues chewier, cut their baking time. This recipe is meant to be broken.
—Aleksandra Crapanzano
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