One of the questions I’m often asked is “How do you stay so thin?” I want to respond by saying that I’m about average for my height and age, but instead I tell people that I eat only my own desserts. I’m not just being a salesman, it’s close to the truth. Aside from the occasional treat, for everyday meals, I prefer to make desserts that are well balanced rather than outrageously rich. I’ll often serve small slivers of cake, a plate of cookies, or scoops of icy sorbet along with a fresh fruit compote and have never met with resistance from any of my guests. When it comes to this virtuous fruit soup, the thin sheet of crackly coconut meringue always seals the deal for those who are doubtful that lean can taste luxurious.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　

Soup Base

2 cups (500 ml) water

　　2/3 cup (130 g) sugar

　　1 small cinnamon stick

　　1/2 star anise

　　8 whole cloves

　　8 black peppercorns

　　1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

　　Grated zest of 2 oranges, preferably organic

　　2 (2-inch/5-cm) pieces lemongrass, white parts only from the bulb end, sliced

　　4 slices fresh ginger

　　1 tablespoon dark rum

　　

Meringue

1 large egg white, at room temperature

　　Pinch of salt

　　1/4 cup (50 g) sugar

　　1/2 cup (35 g) dried unsweetened shredded coconut

　　

Fruit and Garnish

2 to 3 cups (500 to 750 g) mixed tropical fruit (a combination of diced pineapple, mango, kiwifruit, and banana, and passion fruit pulp with seeds)

　　A sprinkle of sugar

　　Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

　　Toasted Coconut Sherbet (page 152)

　　

Step 1

To make the soup base, in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the water and 2/3 cup (130 g) sugar to a boil. Meanwhile, coarsely crush the cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and black peppercorns in a mortar and pestle or seal them in a sturdy plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Add the spices to the boiling syrup and turn off the heat. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add them to the saucepan, then drop in the pod along with the orange zest, lemongrass, and ginger. Cover the pan, and let the mixture steep to allow the flavors to infuse, at least 1 hour.

　　

Step 2

Pour the soup base through a mesh strainer into a medium bowl. (The vanilla pod can be rinsed, dried, and used for another purpose; see page 14.) Stir in the rum, cover, and refrigerate until icy cold.

　　

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

　　

Step 4

To make the meringue, in a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment (or in a bowl by hand), whisk together the egg white and salt on low speed until frothy. Increase the speed to high and continue whisking until the white begins to hold its shape. With the mixer running, gradually sprinkle in the 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar and continue whisking until the meringue is shiny and holds stiff peaks. Fold in the coconut.

　　

Step 5

Using an offset icing spatula, spread the meringue into a very thin circle about 12 inches (30 cm) in diameter on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the meringue is deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely.

　　

Step 6

Slide the icing spatula under the meringue to release it from the parchment paper or silicone mat. Break the meringue into large shards.

　　

Step 7

In a large bowl, toss the fruit with a sprinkling of sugar.

　　

Step 8

To assemble, divide the fruit evenly among four chilled wide soup bowls, then ladle the cold soup base over. Finely chop some mint leaves and scatter them over the soup. Place a scoop of the coconut sherbet in the center and stick a shard of the coconut meringue, pointing upward, into the sherbet.

　　

Storage

Step 9

The soup base can be made up to 1 day in advance of serving and the coconut meringues shards can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

　　

Variations

Step 10

Sliced kumquats, sliced strawberries, and orange segments are nice additions to the mixture of tropical fruits. You can use any other tropical-flavored sorbet in place of the Toasted Coconut Sherbet, such as Passion Fruit–Tangerine Sorbet (page 159) or Strawberry-Mango Sorbet (page 166).

　　

tip

Step 11

I like to use flat soup bowls for serving so guests can see all the tropical fruit floating in the spiced syrup. Put the bowls in the refrigerator or freezer before assembling the dessert to make sure they’re very cold.

　　Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz. Copyright © 2010 by David Lebovitz. Published by Ten Speed Press. All Rights Reserved.David Lebovitz lived in San Francisco for twenty years before moving to Paris. He baked at several notable restaurants before starting his career as a cookbook author and food writer. He's the author of four highly regarded books on desserts, and has written for many major food magazines, sharing his well-tested recipes written with a soupçon of humor. His popular, award-winning blog, www.davidlebovitz.com, entertains readers from around the world with sweet and savory recipes as he tries to unravel the complexities of living in Paris.