Assiette of strawberries with balsamic vinegar ice cream

5.00

There are a few elements to Matthew Tomkinson's assiette of strawberries recipe and it will take a bit of endeavour and stamina to complete. But the reward is a triumphant strawberry dessert fit for any grand occasion or dinner party. The balsamic ice cream is a revelation, offering a complementary sharpness to flatter the strawberry components.

First published in 2015
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Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Balsamic vinegar ice cream

  • 60g of balsamic vinegar, 8 years old
  • 480g of milk
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 120g of caster sugar
  • 5g of trimoline
  • 120g of double cream

Strawberry powder (for the meringue)

Strawberry meringue

  • 32g of egg white
  • 25g of caster sugar
  • 22g of icing sugar
  • 1.5g of cornflour

Strawberry jelly

  • 1000g of strawberries, very ripe
  • 1/2 lemon, zest and juice
  • 100ml of stock syrup, 50/50
  • 50ml of water
  • 8 gelatine leaves, softened

Strawberry purée (for the marshmallow)

Strawberry marshmallow

  • 625g of caster sugar
  • 190g of water
  • 85g of glucose
  • 107g of egg white
  • 30g of gelatine leaves, softened
  • caster sugar
  • cornflour

Strawberry macaroon

  • 100g of egg white
  • 100g of caster sugar
  • red food colouring, powder
  • 150g of icing sugar, sieved
  • 125g of ground almonds, sieved

Strawberry conserve

To serve

Equipment

  • Ice cream maker
  • Sugar thermometer
  • Muslin cloth
  • Blender
  • Squeezy bottle
  • Dehydrator
  • Piping bag with plain nozzle

Method

1
To begin, prepare the balsamic vinegar ice cream. Add the milk to a pan and bring to the boil. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, sugar and Trimoline together in a bowl. Gradually whisk the milk into the egg mix, then pour back into the pan and cook to 85°C, stirring continuously. Pass the mix through a fine sieve
  • 480g of milk
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 120g of caster sugar
  • 5g of trimoline
2
Add the cream and vinegar and leave in the fridge overnight, to allow the flavours to develop. Churn in an ice cream maker, then store in the freezer
  • 120g of double cream
  • 60g of balsamic vinegar, 8 years old
3
To make the strawberry powder for the meringue, thinly slice the strawberries and place in a dehydrator until completely dry. Grind into a powder and keep in an airtight container until required
4
Preheat the oven to 78°C
5
To make the meringue base, whisk the egg whites and caster sugar until stiff peaks form, then slowly add the remaining sifted cornflour and icing sugar until well combined
  • 32g of egg white
  • 25g of caster sugar
  • 22g of icing sugar
  • 1.5g of cornflour
6
Spread the mixture onto a non-stick baking mat to create a 2mm thick layer, then dust with the strawberry powder. Cook in the oven for 90 minutes until crisp, then leave to cool before snapping into rough pieces
7
To make the strawberry jelly, add all of the ingredients - except the gelatine - to a large metal bowl and cover tightly with cling film. Place over a pan of simmering water for 1 1/2 hours, topping up the pan as necessary. Pass the contents of the bowl through a fine strainer lined with muslin into a measuring jug to extract the clear juice. Mix in the sheets of softened gelatine leaves, using the ratio of 8 sheets:1 litre of juice. Set in a flat tray in the fridge
  • 1000g of strawberries, very ripe
  • 1/2 lemon, zest and juice
  • 100ml of stock syrup, 50/50
  • 50ml of water
  • 8 gelatine leaves, softened
8
To make the strawberry purée for the marshmallows, cook the strawberries and sugar together over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the strawberries soften. Blend thoroughly to make a smooth purée and pass through a fine strainer. Set aside and allow to cool
9
To make the marshmallows, add the sugar, water and glucose to the pan and bring to the boil. Continue to boil until the mixture reaches 130°C
  • 190g of water
  • 625g of caster sugar
  • 85g of glucose
10
In a mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form and pour the hot sugar mixture into the eggs in a very slow, steady stream. Continue to whisk until the mix has tripled in volume and cooled to a lukewarm temperature
11
Sift the cornflour into a bowl with the sugar and dust a tray evenly with the mix. Add the gelatine and 180g of the strawberry purée to the marshmallow mix, stir though until combined and pour into the tray. Dust the top with some more cornflour and sugar and freeze for 24 hours. Cut and keep in the freezer
  • caster sugar
  • cornflour
  • 30g of gelatine leaves, softened
12
To make the strawberry macaroons, whisk the egg whites. Once soft peaks form, add the caster sugar in 3 additions. Continue to whisk until stiff peaks form and add the food colouring. Combine the almonds and icing sugar in a separate bowl, then fold into the meringue
  • 100g of egg white
  • 100g of caster sugar
  • red food colouring, powder
  • 150g of icing sugar, sieved
  • 125g of ground almonds, sieved
13
Preheat the oven to 135°C/gas mark 1
14
Using a 1cm plain nozzle, pipe 2.5cm circles of the macaroon mix onto non-stick paper and leave to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to form a thin skin. Then, transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes until crisp. Remove, allow to cool and store in an airtight container
15
To make the strawberry conserve, bring the blended strawberries to the boil and add the sugar and pectin. Continue to boil for 5 minutes, then stir in the lemon juice. Pour into a tray and leave to cool in the fridge
16
Use half of the conserve for filling the macaroons and blitz the remainder. Store in a squeezy bottle
17
Remove the marshmallow pieces from the freezer 15 minutes before serving
18
To assemble the dish, sandwich the conserve between the macaroon halves and place 2 on each plate. Garnish with a selection of the meringue, marshmallow and jelly, finishing with halved fresh strawberries and a generous scoop of the ice cream
First published in 2015
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Matthew Tomkinson’s elegant and highly accomplished food earned him a Roux Scholarship in 2005, as well as Michelin stars at The Goose and The Montagu Arms.

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