• Preheat oven to 275°F / 135℃ and place a rack in the bottom 1/3 of the oven. Trace a 6-inch / 15cm circle on a piece of parchment and set it, upside down, on a baking sheet.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar (if using) and beat on medium-high speed until medium-soft stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.

  Pro Tip: medium-soft peaks are achieved when you lift the beater and the egg whites cling to it, but they don't stand up, but slouch quite a bit.
• Turn the mixer speed to medium-low and drizzle in the water. Slowly sprinkle in the sugar a little at a time; this may take a minute or so. Turn the speed to high and whip until very stiff, glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes. Add in 1 drop of red or pink food coloring and Peychaud Bitters, if using. On medium speed whisk in the vanilla, vinegar, and rose water.
• Using the whisk attachment or a rubber spatula, gently fold the cornstarch.
• Spread a disk of the meringue over the 6-inch circle, so it is about an inch thick. Pipe the remaining meringue with a large ribbon piping tip in a zig zag pattern along the edge of the disk of meringue, building it up in layers, but leaving the center clear to create a bowl. There should be about a 4 1/2-inch opening in the middle where you will put the filling, once it is baked. 

  Pro Tip: If your piping gets into the center and you no longer have a large enough bowl, you can use a small offset spatula to push the meringue from the inside back into place. You only want to push from the inside, so as not to disturb the pattern on the outside of the pavlova.
• Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the meringue is set on the outside, it will have puffed slightly and will start to look a bit drier than when it went into the oven. Once it is baked, turn off the oven and let the pavlova sit in the oven until it is cool enough to take the baking sheet out comfortably with just your hands, about another hour. You can leave it in the oven with the light on overnight.

  Pro Tip: If you are making the pavlova on a humid day, leave it in the oven with the light on until you are ready to fill it.
• Pro Tip: The outer edge of the pavlova may crack a touch as it is baking and when it is cooling, this is just the nature of the beast. If it is cracking excessively, it may be that your oven temperature is too hot and you can reduce it by 25°F.
• Run a metal spatula under the pavlova to release it from the paper and carefully transfer to a serving plate.

Lime Curd

• In a medium stainless-steel bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, butter and salt.
• Put 1 inch / 2.5cm of water in the bottom of a double boiler or a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Place the bowl with the lemon mixture over the simmering water.
• Using a rubber spatula, stir the mixture constantly, making sure to clean the sides of the bowl as you go, until the lemon curd begins to thicken, about 10 minutes; it will be the consistency of smooth pudding.
• If there are any lumps in the curd, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve into a shallow container and cover with plastic wrap, pressed directly onto the surface, to prevent a skin from forming.
• In a large bowl, add enough ice cubes and cold water to create a bath for the container to sit in without the water breaching the sides.
• Set the container in the ice bath or place in the freezer until chilled, about 15 minutes, then transfer to the fridge for up to 5 days.

Strawberry Topping

• Gently toss together in a bowl until the sugar melts and creates a sauce, about 5 to 10 minutes. 

Assembly

• Fold half of the whipped cream into 1/2 cup / 130g of the lime curd. Fit a pastry bag with a large round tip (alternatively, carefully spoon in the mixture) and fill with the cream-curd mixture almost to the top. The amount you use will depend on how big the opening in the baked meringue is, so you may have some filling left over.

  Spoon about a 1/4 cup / 65g of the remaining lime curd onto the filling. Store the pavlova in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Can be made about 4 hours before serving.

  Just before serving, top with the strawberries.
• Refrigerate the pavlova for about 1 hour before serving to make it easier to cut.