Gooseberry meringue pie

As I took a bite out of the delicious gooseberry meringue pie, the flavour sparkled in my mouth. As I gulped down the soothing pie many spectacular tastes entered my mouth. I totally recommend the ornate recipe and hope you try it yourself. By KS

As you can see my son was taken with this recipe - the only positive reviews I've ever had for a gooseberry recipe!  Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

• 375g shortcrust pastry
• 50g golden caster sugar
• 400g gooseberries , topped and tailed
• 2 tbsp elderflower cordial
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 3 egg yolks
• 75g butter , at room temperature

MERINGUE

• 3 egg whites
• 175g golden caster sugar

1. Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Line a 22cm pie dish or tart tin with the pastry and bake blind for about 20 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and lightly browned. Turn the oven down to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2.
2. Put the caster sugar, gooseberries and 275ml water in a pan and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes until the gooseberries are just soft (you can add more sugar at this point). Stir in the cordial. Drain the liquid into a small pan and use 2 tbsp to make a paste with the cornflour, then return to the rest of the liquid, stirring to dissolve. Bring to a simmer and stir until it thickens. Beat in the yolks and butter and stir in the gooseberries. Pour into the tart case.
3. Beat the egg whites until stiff then beat in the sugar in 2 batches. Pipe or spoon the meringue onto the pie and bake for 40 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp.

Per serving

456 kcalories, protein 5.9g, carbohydrate 58.7g, fat 23.6 g, saturated fat 10.7g, fibre 2.1g, salt 0.71 g

Recipe from olive magazine, June 2008