Strawberry mille-feuille

by Stephen Crane
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servings4
1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

Mille-feuille

  • 1 packet of puff pastry

Glazed strawberrries

  • 200g of caster sugar
  • 300ml of water
  • 1 sprig of fresh mint
  • 20 English strawberries, hulled and cut in half

Vanilla cream

  • 80g of caster sugar
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 240ml of milk
  • 240ml of cream
  • 2 vanilla pods, split and scraped
  • 2 1/2 gelatine leaves, soaked and squeezed out

Strawberry sorbet

  • 120g of caster sugar
  • 50ml of water
  • 590g of English strawberry purée, passed through a fine sieve
  • 1/2 lime, juiced

Caramelised almonds

  • 50g of whole blanched almonds
  • 100g of caster sugar
  • 1 tsp butter
  • 50ml of water

Garnish

  • 1 sprig of fresh mint
  • icing sugar for dusting

Method

1
To start the mille feuille, roll out the puff pastry until it is 2mm thick. Trim and set in the freezer
  • 1 packet of puff pastry
2
Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC/gas mark 4. Place on a baking tray between 2 pieces of greaseproof paper, with another baking tray on top to keep the pastry flat. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden
3
Remove from the oven and place onto a cooling rack. Once cool use a serrated knife to cut into 3 even rectangles
4
For the vanilla cream, whisk the sugar and the egg yolks until light and pale in colour. Bring the milk, cream and vanilla to the boil. Remove from the heat and slowly pour into the egg and sugar mixture while whisking
  • 80g of caster sugar
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 240ml of milk
  • 240ml of cream
  • 2 vanilla pods
5
Return to the pan and bring the mix up to 85ºC on a medium heat. Be sure to use a flat bottomed wooden spoon or spatula, stirring constantly along the base of the pan. Remove from the heat, add the soaked gelatine and pass through a fine strainer. Set aside to cool in the fridge
  • 2 1/2 gelatine leaves, soaked and squeezed out
6
As soon as the cream mix is cool and set, whisk to create a smooth texture and place into a piping bag with a small round nozzle
7
To make the strawberry sorbet, bring the sugar and water to the boil and then cool down. Mix 120ml of the the cooled syrup with the strawberry purée and lime juice then cool before churning in an ice-cream machine
  • 120g of caster sugar
  • 50ml of water
  • 590g of English strawberry purée, passed through a fine sieve
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
8
To make the caramelised almonds, toast the almonds in the oven at 150ºC/Gas mark 2 for 10 minutes
  • 50g of whole blanched almonds
9
Combine the sugar and water in small pan and place on a medium to high heat. As soon as the mix reaches a dark golden brown colour, remove from the heat and add the butter. Be sure to keep you face clear of the pan, as it will spit back
  • 100g of caster sugar
  • 1 tsp butter
  • 50ml of water
10
While the caramel is still hot, use a tooth pick to hold the almonds and dip into the caramel to coat evenly. Place onto a small sheet of grease proof paper to cool and set
11
For the glazed strawberries, combine the sugar and water and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and add the mint. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature before pouring over the strawberries. Leave to macerate for up to 2 hours
  • 200g of caster sugar
  • 300ml of water
  • 20 English strawberries
  • 1 sprig of fresh mint
12
To serve, place 1 piece of the mille feuille pastry down as the base. Arrange enough strawberries to cover the pastry and place another piece of the crispy puff pastry on top
13
Pipe the vanilla cream over the pastry as the next layer and place the third and final piece of pastry on top. Place the caramelised almonds on top and dust with icing sugar. Serve the finished mille feuille with a quenelle of the sorbet and fresh mint
  • 1 sprig of fresh mint
  • icing sugar for dusting