Meringues can challenge even the best of cooks, so we asked pastry chef Alice Medrich to share her secrets to making them.

Why must the bowl be clean and dry?
Residual grease or batter left in a bowl (or on beaters) prevents egg whites from beating up to full volume. Water added to egg whites (on purpose or inadvertently from a wet bowl) actually produces more volume, but the resulting foam is softer and less stable. Unless a recipe calls for water, it’s best to start with a clean and dry bowl for the firmest, most stable meringue. And use a glass or stainless bowl; no matter how clean it may seem, a plastic bowl can retain oily residue from previous use, which would seriously inhibit egg white volume.

Should the egg whites be room temperature or cold?
If the recipe doesn’t specify, use room temperature egg whites. They beat up faster, and most pastry chefs find they produce the most volume.

What are soft peaks?
When you stop the mixer and lift the beaters, soft peaks resemble low mountains with rounded peaks (rather than tall, pointy peaks).

How will I know when the peaks are stiff and glossy?
Stiff peaks are tall and pointy, with tips that may bend over like a jester’s hat. They’re also glossy.

What does “fold” mean when combining meringue with other ingredients?
The goal is to incorporate the meringue into other ingredients with as little loss of volume as possible. Stirring and beating breaks the meringue’s air bubbles and deflates the meringue. Folding is gentle.

Use a large, wide bowl and your biggest rubber spatula. Slice down into the center of the bowl with the edge of the spatula. Then scrape the edges of the spatula across the bottom and up the sides of the bowl, lifting as much batter as the spatula will hold. Flip the spatula blade over backwards, dumping the contents on top of the remaining batter. Rotate the bowl a partial turn and repeat the stroke. Always cut in where you see clumps of unmixed batter and always lift the spatula up out of the bowl each time before you flip it over. Don’t stir or mash the batter as you work. Scrape all around the sides of the bowl after every few folds. Stop folding when the batter looks fairly homogenous. And don’t overdo it!