Michelle Darmody: Making the most of meringues
Meringues are quite versatile: Depending on the ratio of sugar to egg they can be soft, like the topping on a lemon meringue pie, or crisp and brittle so that they snap under the slightest pressure.
There are a few tips that can help you to get a good result. The first, and one of the most important, is to ensure there is no oil or fat on the bowl or whisk when you are adding air to the egg whites. Even a tiny piece of egg yolk, which contains fat, will stop the whites becoming light and fluffy. I tend to wipe down the bowl and the whisk with some white malt vinegar before I begin. This ensures that they are sparkling clean. A glass or metal bowl also works better than a plastic one as fat can stick more readily to plastic.
