Head Chef Brendan Pratt's Summer Dessert

Cane Cut Parfait & Blackberry "Pavlova"
Serves 4

Head Chef Brendan Pratt reinteprets a classic Australian dessert with a Margaret River twist in this creative dish to enjoy the flavours of Vasse Felix Cane Cut this Summer.

“This dessert is designed to look messy, but is a great way to finish a dinner party, and best accompanied with a glass of Vasse Felix Cane Cut,” Chef Brendan Pratt.

Tasting notes and more on the 2017 Cane Cut Semillon can be found here.

Cane Cut Parfait 
1 bottle Vasse Felix Cane Cut 
220g egg whites 
250g caster sugar 
380g whipping cream,  whipped to soft peaks 
1 tsp chardonnay vinegar

For Plating  
300g whipping cream,  whipped to soft peaks 
8 tbsp quality blackberry jam 2 punnets fresh blackberries

Method: Parfait
Place one bottle of Vasse Felix Cane Cut into a heavy based saucepan onto the stove on a medium heat and reduce until 100ml of liquid is left, set aside to cool to room temperature.

Place a large pot of water onto the stove and bring to a simmer.

In a large metal or heatproof bowl, whip the egg whites and sugar together.

Place the bowl on top of the pot. You don’t want the bottom of the bowl to touch the water, so the bowl needs to be big enough to sit comfortably on top of the pot without too much overhang. 

Whip the egg white and sugar mix over heat with a balloon whisk or electric whisker until it reaches 65°C.

Once it reaches 65°C, remove the bowl from the heat and transfer the meringue to a mixing bowl and whisk on a high speed until cooled.

Once cooled, add the vinegar and Cane Cut to the meringue and whisk to combine.

Remove the meringue from the mixing bowl, and using a spatula, gently fold in the 380g semi whipped cream, being careful not to knock the air out.

Transfer your smooth mix into an airtight container and place into the freezer overnight or for at least 5 hours to let it freeze.

Method: Plating
Place spoonfuls of the fluffy marshmallow-textured parfait onto the plate, alternating with spoons of blackberry jam, soft cream and fresh blackberries. 

Alternatively you could layer large wine glasses or glass jars with the parfait, then the jam, then cream and finish with fresh blackberries similar to a trifle or an Eton mess style.

Enjoy!