Gooseberry and toasted coconut pavlova

Method

1. Top and tail the gooseberries, then put them in a medium pan with half the cordial, 50ml water and the bay. Gently simmer for 5 minutes until the gooseberries are just starting to collapse. Use a slotted spoon to lift out and set aside around 50g of the gooseberries, then cook the rest for another 5 minutes until fully collapsed. Discard the bay leaf, set aside the mixture to cool, then push through a fine sieve into a heatproof bowl.
2. Beat the whole eggs and yolks together, then add them to the gooseberry purée with the butter and sugar. Sit the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl isn’t touching the water. Stir for about 10-12 minutes until it thickens, then immediately push the curd through a fine sieve into another bowl. Leave to cool, then put in the fridge to chill and firm up for at least an hour.
3. Heat the oven to 170°C fan/gas 5. Draw a circle roughly 23cm in diameter on a sheet of baking paper, then turn it over and line a baking tray with it. To make the meringue, put the egg whites in a scrupulously clean mixing bowl, add a pinch of salt and whisk to stiff peaks (see Tips). Whisk in about a third of the meringue sugar, then add the rest a spoonful at a time, whisking after each addition. Keep whisking until the meringue is thick and glossy. Fold in the vinegar, then spoon the meringue into the circle on the paper, banking it up the sides a little to create a sort of nest.
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5. Put the meringue in the oven and immediately turn down to 135°C fan/gas 2½. Cook for 1 hour, then turn off – don’t open the door. Leave the meringue in the oven to cool completely (this helps stop it cracking).
6. To build the pavlova, toast the coconut chips or flakes in a dry pan until lightly browned. Whip the double cream, icing sugar and remaining 25ml cordial together until thick but not stiff. Sit the meringue base on a serving plate, then spoon over enough curd for a layer of a few millimetres thick. Spoon over the whipped cream, then add the reserved poached gooseberries, the coconut, more curd and, if using, the elderflowers or edible flowers to decorate.