Prosecco-poached plum pavlova

Preheat the oven to 140C/ 120C Fan/Gas 1. Slit the vanilla pod open and scrape the seeds out into 240g of the sugar. Mix and set aside.

In a clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites into stiff peaks with an electric whisk. Continue whisking and add the vanilla sugar 2tbsp at a time, waiting a few seconds between each addition. Continue until all the vanilla sugar is incorporated and you have a thick, glossy mixture that stays put if you turn the bowl upside down.

Pile the meringue mixture onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper, smooth down into a circle, and bake in the oven for 1 hr 30 mins.

Meanwhile, put the prosecco, the remaining 200g sugar and the spices into a pan. Stir on a medium heat until the sugar dissolves.

Reduce the heat until there are hardly any bubbles and add the plums. Poach for 5 mins, then turn off the heat and leave for 5 mins before removing the plums with a slotted spoon.

Boil the syrup to reduce it by two-thirds, then turn off the heat and let it cool.

Cool the meringue on a wire rack. Whip the crème fraîche, pile it onto the meringue and top with the plums and syrup.