Surely it isn't coincidence that every summer billowy clouds of meringue blow across menus.

It starts with wobbly spoonfuls of those grande dames of sauces, Hollandaise and mayonnaise, which at this time of year I make several times a week. Summer classics, like salmon or asparagus, would be unthinkable without them. But all those egg yolks being used for my Hollandaise and mayonnaise generate endless bowls of left-over egg white. The meringue comes to my rescue.

A meringue is one of the simplest and most adaptable desserts. Gentle whisking, rather than frantic beating is the key. You are seeking to incorporate air into the egg white, remember, not knock it out. Once made, meringues can survive in an airtight container for several days, most helpful for the time-poor cook.

Meringues lie at the heart of summertime desserts. Scrunched up, berry-stained Eton Mess is an age-old favourite, especially if you are pressed for time; the elegantly layered snowy pavlova, crowned with red fruits, is more showy; fluffy pillows of meringue nests, sandwiched together with whipped cream, are perennial family favourites.

By happy coincidence, berries, peaches and apricots appear, then peak, with perfect timing, offering a refreshing contrast to the sweet crunch of snowy meringue. While pale meringue and scarlet berries may be a summer partnership as inevitable as white legs and sunburn, don't ignore other combinations that offer a tempting twist. Hazelnuts, butterscotch, banana or passion fruit shine beside meringue, lifting left-over egg white to irresistible heights.

Basic meringue fool-proof recipe

Recipe serves four

4 medium egg whites

¼ tsp cream of tartar (optional)

225g caster sugar

1. The basic rule is that for every egg white you use, you should use 55g caster sugar. You also need to get a feel for when to add the sugar and when to stop whisking. Cream of tartar, which works as a stabiliser, makes the whole thing less unpredictable, though you can manage without it. It is also manageable to whisk by hand. I find that whisking up to 2 or 3 egg whites is the limit; after that a hand held electric whisk is ideal.

2. Start by preheating the oven to 140C, Gas Mark 1. Line two large baking sheets with baking parchment. Pop your eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add the cream of tartar if using. Eggs towards the end of their life will give a better volume, so save really fresh ones for poaching. They need to be at room temperature, rather than fridge-cold, and free from any protein from the yolk. The more room there is, the better your volume will be, so use a big bowl.

3. Start whisking with the motor of the electric whisk set on low, building up the speed as the whites expand. Once they are stiff and there's no wobble, they are ready for the sugar. Egg whites can be over-whisked, which ruins their elasticity, so be careful. They should look smooth, with no lumpiness around the edges. Add the sugar three tablespoons at a time and quickly whisk in after each addition. Stop once the mixture is thick and moussey and stands in

peaks when pulled up by the whisk.

4. Dab a bit of your mixture under each corner of the paper, this is just to stop it moving. You can place the meringue in a piping bag and pipe neat nests to fill or puffy domes to sandwich together with cream, or you can spread the meringue out on the sheet for breaking up for an Eton Mess. A meringue should have quirky peaks so don't worry about being too neat. Pop them in the oven on a low shelf and bake for 45-60 minutes until crisp on the outside, then turn off the oven and leave to cool with the door ajar for 30 minutes, to cook the insides further. Store in an airtight container once they have cooled.

Banana, toffee and passion fruit Eton Mess

1 sheet of meringue, baked following the above basic guide

2 bananas

3-4 passion fruits

350ml double cream

zest and juice of 1 lime

For the toffee sauce

250g caster sugar

142ml pot of double cream

50g unsalted butter

a small pinch of salt, optional

1. Make the meringue in advance and store in an airtight container until needed.

2. For the sauce, which can also be made a day ahead, place the sugar in a small pan and add a couple of dessertspoons of water. Place over a moderate a heat to dissolve the sugar then slightly increase the heat and bubble for 5 minutes until caramel is made. Remove from the heat and carefully stir in the cream and butter, taking care that it does not spit and burn you. Combine thoroughly, adding salt if using. Set aside.

3. To make the dessert: place the cream in the bowl of a mixer and whisk until soft floppy peaks form, do not over-whisk as it should not be too stiff. Alternatively, place the cream in a mixing bowl and whisk using a hand-held electric whisk.

4. Cut the passion fruits in half and scoop out the pips, juice and pulp into a small bowl. Add half of the pulp to the whisked cream with the lime juice and zest; you can also add some vanilla seeds or a dash of vanilla essence if you wish. Break most of the meringue into the bowl as well, reserving enough to sprinkle over at the end.

5. Peel the bananas then slice into fine rounds or cut into 1cm dice. Add three quarters of these to the cream and finally fold these through too, reserving the rest.

6. To complete, you will need to build up the mixture in four tumblers, bowls or sundae glasses. Place some of the reserved banana in the base of the cups, and sprinkle with a little of the reserved passion fruit juice and a little toffee sauce. Now you can build up the Eton Mess with alternating layers of the banana, the cream mix and a little of the meringue to sprinkle over in chunks as you go. Also add a little drizzle of the toffee sauce and passion fruit pulp to each layer. Continue until the glasses are filled.

6. Finally drizzle over a last touch of toffee sauce and the rest of the passion fruit pulp. Sprinkle with a crunchy layer of meringue and serve at once.