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1
Preheat your oven to 150u00b0C/300u00b0F/gas mark 2 and line 40 x 25cm baking tray with a sheet of greaseproof paper.
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2
Put your egg whites into a squeaky clean bowl, making sure there are absolutely no little pieces of egg shell or egg yolk in them.
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3
Whisk on medium until the whites form firm peaks.
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4
With your mixer still running, gradually add the sugar and the pinch of salt.
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5
Turn the mixer up to the highest setting and whisk for about 7-8 minutes, until the meringue mixture is white and glossy, to test whether it's done you can pinch some between your fingers- if it feels completely smooth it's ready; if it's slightly granular it needs a little more whisking.
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6
Dot each corner of the greaseproof paper with a blob of meringue, then turn it over and stick it to the baking tray, spoon the meringue out onto the paper, using the back of a spoon, shape and swirl it into a A4 size rectangle.
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7
Place in the preheated oven and bake for a hour or until crisp on the outside and a little soft and sticky on the inside, at the same time bake the hazelnuts on a separate tray in the oven for a hour or until golden brown.
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8
Drain the tin of pears, reserving the syrup from the tin, cut each pear into 6 slices.
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9
Pour the pear syrup into a saucepan (with the ginger) and warm gently over a medium heat until it starts to simmer.
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10
Take off the heat and snap the chocolate into saucepan with the syrup, stirring with a spoon until its all melted.
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11
Take the meringue and hazelnuts out of the oven and leave to cool.
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12
Place the meringue on a nice rustic board or platter.
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13
Whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla seeds until it forms smooth soft peaks.
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14
Smash the toasted hazelnuts (in a tea towel) and sprinkle half of them over the meringue.
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15
Spoon half the whipped cream over the top of the meringue and drizzle with some of the chocolate syrup sauce.
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16
Divide most of the pear pieces evenly over the top, pile on the rest of the whipped cream, drizzle with the chocolate syrup sauce and the rest of the hazelnuts.
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17
Serve straight away.
