Method
Wet meringue keeps its shape perfectly, and doesn’t flow or crawl.
At the same time, the crème is light and delicate in taste. The important thing is that the wet meringue is cheap, because it contains only egg whites, sugar and lemon acid.
BUT: to cook this crème correctly, you will need a little skill and a little knowledge.
Of course, there are a lot of recipes on the Internet, and there is no point in writing it. But we will analyze some aspects with you.
- So, the first and the biggest mistake is that you don’t whip the meringue enough!!!
- Take your time to remove the meringue from the water bath! Whip it until firm "caves" appear around the edges of the bowl, and the crème gets a good texture. Only after that you can remove the meringue from the heat (without stopping whipping); add the lemon acid, and keep whipping the crème until sharp peaks.
- Another important point that you need to pay attention to: when it seems to you that your meringue is completely ready, remove the whisks from the crème with a movement of your hand upward and look, if the meringue slips off the whisks. It means your meringue underwhipped. If the meringue adheres well and stably to the whisks, then it’s done! You can get to work. Just don’t forget to cover the container with the meringue with a damp towel, as this crème tends to dry out rather quickly in the air.
- When you make flowers from this meringue, and keep it in an open space, then a crust forms on it. It’s an integral part of this crème. There is nothing wrong with that; it is just as soft and moist inside. If you need a more moisturized crème, then use the Italian meringue. It doesn’t dry out so quickly, but it’s also not as stable as the wet meringue.