Strawberry Glory (Sweet Things)

Member Name: ashwick

Product:	Sweet Things
Date:	14/10/08 (20 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Tastes amazing

Disadvantages: Don't even try and calculate the calories!

Strawberry Glory. This rich, sweet, sumptuous desert is why Gordon Ramsey is a God of the kitchen! Taken from his series The F Word, I have made this a couple of times and my friends absolutely love it. I would make it more often, but I think it must be so far down the 'naughty food' list you wouldn't believe!

If you think that adding vinegar to strawberries sounds a bit odd, please give it a go, it really works for some strange reason!


Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients

- Approx 80g meringues, crushed
- 300g fresh strawberries, quartered
- Icing sugar to dust
- Balsamic vinegar to drizzle
- 240ml double cream
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
- 4- 6 scoops vanilla ice cream
- Plain chocolate to grate
- Wafer fans to garnish

For the crème pâtissière (makes about 320g):
- 150 ml milk
- 100ml double cream
- 20g plain flour
- 15g cornflour
- 3 free range large egg yolks
- 40g caster sugar

How to make strawberry glory

1. For the crème patissière base: heat the milk and cream in a heavy-based saucepan until almost boiling. Sift the flour and cornflour together. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together in a large bowl then mix in the flour. Add a splash of the hot creamy milk and whisk well until the mixture is smooth, then gradually whisk in the rest of the milk. Pour back into the pan and whisk over a medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes until thickened and smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin forming.

2. Quarter the strawberries and dust with icing sugar. Drizzle over the balsamic vinegar and toss to coat. Quickly cook the strawberries in a hot pan for 1minute until the strawberries just begin to break down. Spoon on to a plate and allow to cool.

3. Whip the double cream with a tablespoon of icing sugar to soft peak stage. Mix the whipped cream and crème patisserie together - the mixture should be two thirds cream to one third crème patisserie.

4. Layer the bottom of the glasses with some strawberries, scatter over some meringue then pipe over a little of the mixed cream. Repeat the layering as necessary and top with a spoonful of ice cream, a drizzle of sauce and a grating of chocolate. Garnish with a fan wafer and serve at once.

Enjoy!

Summary: A sumptuous treat to be relished every so often.