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Rockpool Bar & Grill's passionfruit pavlova

Rockpool Bar & Grill's passionfruit pavlova

“Passionfruit pavlova is one of the best-selling desserts at Rockpool Bar & Grill in both Melbourne and Sydney. We made it for the first staff Christmas lunch in Melbourne back in 2006, and Neil then wanted to know when it was going on the menu. Shortly afterwards it did. When Sydney opened I initially opted not to put it on the menu, but that didn’t last very long because the requests for it were overwhelming. Sometimes the simple things are the most enjoyable. We preheat the oven to 200C so that the initial heat inflates the air bubbles created by whisking and sets the proteins around the bubbles, creating a stable pavlova that is light and fluffy on the inside with a crisp exterior.”

Rockpool Bar & Grill's passionfruit pavlova

Serves 12
Cooking Time Prep time 30 mins, cook 35 mins
315 gm   eggwhites (about 10)
525 gm   caster sugar
3 tsp   cornflour
3 tsp   white vinegar
2 tsp   vanilla extract
Passionfruit curd
4   egg yolks
100 gm   caster sugar
80 ml   passionfruit pulp (from about 4 passionfruit), plus 80ml extra, to serve
50 gm   unsalted butter, coarsely chopped
1½ tsp   lime juice
Vanilla cream
1 litre (4 cups)   pouring cream
2 tbsp   caster sugar
½ tsp   vanilla extract


1 Preheat oven to 200C. Whisk eggwhites and a pinch salt in an electric mixer on low speed until they start to break up, then increase speed to medium and beat until soft peaks form (2 minutes). Add one-third of sugar and whisk to combine, then gradually add remaining sugar and whisk on high> speed until stiff peaks form (2-3 minutes). Fold through cornflour, vinegar and vanilla, then form into a 24cm-diameter round with edges slightly higher than centre on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Reduce oven to 160C and bake pavlova until lightly browned on the outside and cooked on the inside (25-35 minutes), turn oven off and stand in oven for 10 minutes, then remove and cool to room temperature (1 hour).
2 Meanwhile, for passionfruit curd, place yolks in a heatproof bowl, whisk to combine. Combine sugar, passionfruit pulp and butter in a saucepan over low heat, stir occasionally until butter melts and sugar dissolves (5 minutes). Add one-third of passionfruit mixture to yolks, whisking continuously, then return to pan and stir continuously until thickened (3 minutes). Do not boil. Add lime juice, remove from heat, pass through a coarse sieve into a container. Cover closely with plastic wrap, cool (10 minutes), then refrigerate until chilled (1 hour).
3 For vanilla cream, whisk cream, sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks in a bowl.
4 Fold passionfruit curd through vanilla cream, then form quenelles of mixture and spoon over pavlova. Top with extra passionfruit pulp and serve.

This recipe is from the September 2010 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller.

RECIPE Catherine Adams, Rockpool Bar & Grill PHOTOGRAPHY Ben Dearnley STYLING Megan Morton

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