Pascal Aussignac's Gallic tribute to a English summer classic - marinated prunes stirred with crushed meringue in a crème Chantilly. Recipe from Cuisinier Gascon (2009), courtesy of Absolute Press.

Ingredients

4 egg whites
240g caster sugar
1l double cream
25g icing sugar
100ml Armagnac

For the marinated prunes
300g Agen prunes
50g sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
5 cardamon pods
Grated zest from 1 orange

Method

• If the prunes are not semi-soft, then they should be blanched first in a pan of boiling water for 1 minute then drained. Make a syrup with the sugar and 150ml boiling water in a saucepan, adding the cinnamon stick, star anise, cardamon and orange zest. Stir in the prunes and simmer for 3 minutes, then remove and cool. Remove the stones if they are not already stoned and leave to marinate overnight.
• Heat the oven to 100ºC/gas mark ½. Cover a large baking sheet with non-stick baking parchment.

• Whisk the egg whites in a large, very clean bowl and using a balloon whisk or electric beater beat the whites until you have a white foam that holds firm peaks with soft tops.

• Gradually beat in 240g sugar until the foam becomes a glossy and thick meringue. Drop tablespoons of the mixture onto the baking sheet in mounds, allowing a little space between, then bake for up to 3 hours until crisp and a very pale golden. Cool.

• When ready to put the dessert together, whip the cream with the icing sugar until softly stiff, then gradually whip in the Armagnac until the cream is firm but not dry.

• Drain the prunes but leave them still a little juicy, then cut them in halves or quarters. Roughly crush the meringues and fold all the elements together. Serve nicely chilled in glass bowls or sundae glasses. We serve a little red berry coulis and candied julienned orange strips on top.