This week Tony Astle ate at St. Marg's, a restaurant on Karangahape Road that sells all of the usual fare as well as some unexpected delights.  

He sampled the Oysters, Beef tartare, the roast sirloin of the day, and the T-bone steak. 

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Recipe of the Week:  Individual Christmas Pavlovas

6-8 portions 

Ingredients

4 egg whites 

1 tsp vanilla essence 

1.25 cups castor sugar 

20 g cornflour 

1 tsp vinegar 

 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. 
2. Beat egg whites to a foam. Then, continuing to beat, gradually adding the sugar. 
3. Continue to beat until the mixture almost creates stiff peaks, around 5 minutes. 
4. Add the remaining ingredients, beating for 2 more minutes. 
5. Using a wet (cold water) 7.5 cm open ended ring mould* on non-stick baking paper, on a baking sheet, fill the moulds with the mixture. 
6. Flatten the tops with a palette knife. Lift off the mould. 
7. Repeat until mixture is used. 
8. Reduce the oven temperature to 100C. Add the moulded pavlovas to the oven. 
9. Bake for 1 hour, then turn the oven off, leaving the pavlovas in the residual oven heat to complete cooking (overnight is recommended). 

 

Plating

1. Place a pavlova on your dessert plate. 
2. Top with a quenelle of Chantilly cream** and sliced strawberries. 
3. Eat and enjoy! 

 

*A 2cm high sliced plastic drain pipe works well as an inexpensive mould. 

** Combine cream with plenty of icing sugar, and vanilla essence. Beat.

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