almond meringue with strawberries

meringa alle mandorle con fragole

for 10

meringue

olive oil and butter for greasing the trays

175 g shelled whole blanched almonds

5 large, organic free-range egg whites

225 g caster sugar

110 g unsalted butter, melted

70 g plain flour

strawberries and cream

1.5 kg strawberries, hulled and halved

1 vanilla pod

1 litre double cream

150 g icing sugar

150 ml Vecchio Romagna brandy

Preheat the oven to 120°C/250°F/Gas ½. Rub olive oil over three flat oven trays. Line each tray with parchment paper. Butter the paper. Put the almonds into a food processor and pulse-chop to a medium fine flour. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with half the sugar until stiff, then add the almond flour and the remaining sugar. Beat briefly to combine. Fold in the melted butter. Finally sieve the flour into the bowl, and fold in carefully.

Spoon the mixture on to the three trays and spread it out flat, each the same shape and diameter, as thin as you can (1 cm thick at most). Bake for 50 minutes, or until set and nearly crisp. It is essential to peel off the paper whilst the meringues are still hot. Place on wire racks to cool.

Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod. Lightly whip the cream with the vanilla seeds and icing sugar. When stiff, fold in the brandy. Choose a large flat cake plate. Place the first meringue layer on the plate and cover it with one-third of the cream. Place one-third of the strawberry halves on to the cream. Repeat twice.