The Shard Eton Mess with Black Pepper Meringue

I’ve created this playful take on Eton Mess to celebrate the opening of The Shard in 2012. Architect Renzo Piano famously sketched his initial vision for the tower on the back of a napkin in a restaurant—a fitting origin story for a dessert. Alongside The Shard, Piano has designed several iconic culinary spaces, including Le Georges at the Pompidou Centre in Paris and the Astrup Fearnley Museum café in Oslo.

With its angular meringue shards echoing Piano’s design, this dessert is a nod to both elegance and indulgence. Black pepper, strawberries, and basil make an unexpected yet delicious combination. The basil adds freshness, lift, and aniseed notes, while the pepper brings warmth and a spicy tingle on the tongue, bringing the strawberries to life.

Any leftover yolks can be blended into a smoothie, folded into pasta, mayonnaise or even made into a Strawberry Curd.

Meringue shards will keep in an airtight container for two to three weeks. 

Ingredients: 

Black Pepper Meringue:

• 2 egg whites
  
• 75g caster sugar
  
• 75g icing sugar, sieved 
  
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar, optional
  
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  
• A pinch of salt
  

Macerated Strawberries: 

• 200g ripe strawberries
  
• 1 tbsp caster sugar (or to taste)
  
• Zest and juice of 1/4 lemon
  
• A few fresh basil leaves
  

To serve: 

• 220ml clotted cream (or whip regular double cream until stiff)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 90°C fan. 1/4. Line a large baking tray with a silicone mat or baking parchment.
2. Crack the egg whites into a clean, grease-free bowl or jar. Add the caster sugar, sifted icing sugar, cream of tartar if using, and black pepper. Whisk everything together using an electric hand whisk or stand mixer on high speed for 5 to 10 minutes, until the mixture forms very firm, glossy peaks that hold their shape.
3. Spoon the meringue onto the lined baking tray and smooth it out into a thin, even layer. Bake for about an hour and a half, or until the surface is crisp and dry to the touch without taking on colour.
4. Leave to cool completely on the tray. Once set, lift the meringue off the paper and snap into long, jagged shards.
5. Prepare the strawberries: Hull the strawberries and cut into cubes. Finely slice the basil leaves. Place in a bowl with the sugar, lemon zest and juice. Mix well, cover, and let sit for at least an hour — overnight in the fridge is best.
6. Thin the clotted cream with a little of the strawberry juice, being careful not to overmix it otherwise it will become buttery. 
7. To serve: Spoon a generous dessertspoonful of the cream into the centre of each bowl and spread it out gently with the back of the spoon to create a well. Fill the well with a generous spoonful of the macerated strawberries. Arrange the meringue shards over the top, allowing them to lean and jut out like miniature crystalline towers, concealing the fruit beneath. Serve immediately and let guests crush the meringue into the berries and cream as they eat.