Berries with smashed meringue and mascarpone

We have to admit that this dish is equal parts style and substance. Which is not to say that the substance is lacking - Jono Fleming pulls together seasonal berries with the crunchy sweetness of meringue and creamy mascarpone in a combination that makes perfect culinary sense -  but that he upped the style quotient to make sure the finished dish was pretty.

There's no real cooking involved here, and nothing complicated to source except edible flowers, which you should be able to find at a specialty greengrocer. Jono sourced his from Darling Mills Farm. All the art is in the plating up, so we asked Jono for tips on creating this gorgeous dish.

1. Don't put too much on the plate. There's nothing less elegant than a huge mound of food so make sure there is plenty of space between the food and edge of the plate. Aim for an amount of food that's about the size of the palm of your hand.

2. While there's no need to be over fussy about the arrangement - the idea is that it's a casually beautiful dish - you need to take some care with placement of the different elements. Make sure the edible flowers are spread around, that the berries are easily visible and add the piped mascarpone where there are gaps. Jono even added some pink sprinkles to prettify the dish. Definitely clean up the edges of the plate if you need to, à la Masterchef!

3. Think visually, which means focusing on colour and texture.  Choose fruit and flowers that complement each other. The tiny green mint leaves add freshness, and Jono added an extra element with a thin layer of toffee which he smashed (so much smashing!) into shards and placed into the finished dish.

Berries with smashed meringue and mascarpone

Ingredients (serves 4-6)
375g mixed berries (frozen or fresh)
¼ cup caster sugar
Handful of  mint, finely chopped
½ cup white wine (something sweeter like a Riesling)
4-6 individual meringue nests, either store-bought or home-made (I used this recipe)
Punnet of edible flowers
Mascarpone, to serve

Preparation
Coat the berries in the sugar and mix well with the mint. Pour in the wine, mix gently and put in the fridge for 15 minutes to macerate.

Scoop a little dollop of mascarpone on to each plate and place a meringue nest on top. With a spoon or your hand, give it a bit of a smash. Place a spoonful of the berries on top and then scatter some of the flowers around it. I used a piping bag to add little dollops of mascarpone throughout the dish.