When you think of meringue you probably think of it as decadently sweet, fluffy clouds piled high on pies, crunchy cookies, and pavlovas. But did you know that meringue also has a savory side? During the summer I make a lot of ice cream, which uses a lot of egg yolks. This means I’m left with lots of egg whites, which thankfully freeze beautifully.
Cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper) meringue crisps are great way to use up those egg whites. Melt-in-your-mouth delicious on their own as gluten- and lactose-free crackers, they also make a terrific base for other things like my parmesan cream for fancier appetizers (see photo, below, for inspiration).
Arliano Update (Aggiornamento Arliano):
Ditch management is a critical part of country living that no one tells you about. Get those twigs, branches and leaves out or you’re going to have a flood on your hands. We learned the hard way 3 years ago when most of the gravel on our dirt road was washed away by a flood. The first lesson was to spend an afternoon raking and clearing out the water run-off ditches (the clue was in the name!) once the leaves have fallen from the trees. This usually means by mid-November. As of this late October most of the leaves are still green and clinging to the trees. But when it rains hard three days in a row, the ditches don’t care.
Something in the back of my head a couple of weeks ago told me to check the fossi (plural of ditches in Italian) for branches. Afterall, just one branch with lots of twigs can cause a blockage. I ignored myself and Bam! Flooded fields and ditch overflow. Ditch Krampus came early this year. Lesson 2: Obey your instincts.
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Ingredients
- 3 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Directions
- Preheat oven to 275F/135C
- Add egg whites and cream of tartar to a large mixing bowl. Using a whisk attachment, whisk at a medium-high speed until you achieve medium stiff peaks. TIP: using less than maximum speed while whisking creates smaller air bubbles than using the maximum speed. Smaller air bubbles help stabilize the meringue. Since there is no sugar in this recipe the egg whites will need all the stabilization help they can get
- Add the black pepper in the final seconds of whisking
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the cheese using top to bottom circular motions
- Either using a spoon or a piping bag pipe, create approximately 1-inch (2 cm) circles of meringue on a parchment or silpat line baking sheet. NOTE: meringue without sugar is significantly looser than its sweeter counterpart. Be very careful when using a piping bag so that it doesn’t all run out of the bag onto your counter and onto the floor. Not that has ever happened to me (ah hmm … )
- Bake for 30 minutes and then turn the oven off and very slightly crack the oven door and let them remain in the oven for 60 minutes
- When the meringues are completely cooled transfer them to an airtight container
Greg Nelson Cooks 