Heat the oven to 110C (90C fan)/gas ¾, and line a large baking tray with a silicone mat or unbleached baking paper.

Crack the egg white into a clean, grease-free bowl or jar.

Add the caster sugar, icing sugar, cream of tartar if using, and ground black pepper, then whisk with an electric hand whisk or in a stand mixer on high speed for five to 10 minutes, until the mix forms very firm, glossy peaks.

Spoon the meringue on to the lined baking tray, then smooth it out into a thin, even layer.

Bake for about an hour and a half, or until the surface is crisp and dry to the touch but hasn’t taken on any colour.

Remove and leave to cool completely on the tray, then lift the meringue off the paper and snap it into long, jagged shards.

Meanwhile, hull the strawberries and cut them into cubes.

Finely slice the basil leaves.

Put both in a bowl, add the sugar, lemon zest and juice, and mix gently but thoroughly.

Cover and put in the fridge for at least an hour, though overnight would be best.

Just before serving, thin the clotted cream with a little of the strawberry juices from the bottom of the bowl, being careful not to overmix it, or it will turn buttery.

Spoon a generous dessertspoonful of the cream into the centre of each of four pudding bowls and spread it out gently with the back of the spoon to create a well.

Fill the well with a generous spoonful of the macerated strawberries, then arrange some meringue shards on top, allowing them to lean and jut out like miniature crystalline towers, concealing some of the fruit beneath.

Serve at once, crushing the meringue into the berries and cream as you eat.