Some £1.17bn worth of fruit, veg and bread is wasted every year by Britons, according to research by Sainsbury’s, which equates to every household throwing away nearly three items a week. But even over-ripe fruit that’s no longer good to eat raw is delicious if poached and sat upon a glorious pavlova.
Pavlova with quince, chocolate and hazelnuts
Over-ripe fruit that is no longer palatable raw can be poached and served simply with breakfast cereal, porridge or yoghurt, or for dessert with cream. It can also be upcycled into this show-stopping zero-waste pavlova made with aquafaba instead of egg whites. The meringue is a sweet treat made by converting something that is usually wasted, namely aquafaba, into a dessert to die for – especially when topped with poached seasonal fruit and melted chocolate. This recipe is adapted from one in my cookbook Eating for Pleasure, People & Planet.
For the meringue
170ml aquafaba
1 tsp cream of tartar
225g caster sugar
For the honey-poached quince
250ml honey, or other sweetener (eg, sugar, maple syrup or date syrup)
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
½ cinnamon stick (optional)
2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
500g quince, or other ripe seasonal fruit
For the topping
100g good-quality dark chocolate
250ml double cream
100g hazelnuts, toasted
Put the aquafaba in a ceramic bowl and beat on high speed for five minutes, until it forms stiff peaks. Whisk in the cream of tartar, if using, and caster sugar, a third at a time, until the mix forms very stiff peaks.
Spread the meringue into a roughly 20cm-wide disc on a large baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper, then bake in a 130C (110C fan)/260F/gas ¾ oven for three hours. Turn off the oven, keep the door closed and leave the meringue to cool down for at least two more hours.
Meanwhile, put 800ml water in a large pan with the honey (or other sweetener) and the lemon zest and juice, and add the half-stick of cinnamon and vanilla extract, if using. Core the quinces, then chop into wedges, dropping them into the pan as you go (quince skin is fine to eat). Bring the pot up to a gentle simmer and leave to cook for about two hours (alternatively, to save energy, cook in a slow cooker for four to five hours). Lift out the quince pieces and set aside to cool, then, if need be, bring the remaining liquid to a boil, reduce to a syrup and leave to cool.
Break the chocolate into small pieces, put these in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of hot, just-simmering water, and stir to melt.
Put the meringue on a platter, top with the whipped double cream and pieces of quince, drizzle over the chocolate sauce and finish with a scattering of toasted hazelnuts.
