John Torode's sensational summer strawberries!
They’re the cream of the British summer fruit crop, and the perfect sunshine treat.As strawberry season gets started, and Wimbledon just days away, John is live from Garson’s Strawberry Fields in Surrey today to share some sensational recipes perfect for the summer.
Mini strawberry pavlovas
Makes 4
Ingredients
2ml vanilla essence
2ml lemon essence
2ml champagne vinegar
10ml hot water
4 egg whites
80g sugar
1tsp corn flour
50g chopped roasted hazelnuts
400g fresh strawberries
50g caster sugar
200g thick greek yoghurt
200m crème fraîche
Method
1. Preheat the oven for 135C/115C Fan/Gas 1. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
2. Dissolve the vanilla essence, lemon essence and champagne vinegar in the hot water.
3. Using an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until stiff in a very clean bowl. Fold in the sugar and cornflour and continue to whisk for 2 minutes, then add the water mixture and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold in the chopped hazelnuts.
4. Using a very large kitchen spoon make large quenelles from the meringue mixture and place on the lined tray. Cook the meringue for 1 hour, then turn the oven off and leave the meringue in the oven overnight.
5. Cut up the strawberries and mix with the sugar and leave somewhere in the sun for 10 minutes.
6. Fold together the yoghurt and the crème fraiche.
7. Take the pavlovas and make a little indentation in the top, spoon in a good blob of the crème mix and then pile on lots of strawberries.
Strawberry panna cotta
Makes 6-8
Ingredients
600ml double cream
90g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, split
2 leaves gold gelatine (soaked in cold water)
400g fresh strawberries
50g caster sugar
Method
1. Put the cream and the sugar into a saucepan and scrape the seeds from inside the vanilla pod into the cream. Place the pod in as well and then place the pot on a hot stove and bring it to the boil.
2. As soon as the cream boils, take it off the heat, leave to cool a little, approximately 5 minutes. Remove the vanilla pod (wash it, dry it and put it into your sugar jar to make vanilla sugar.)
3. Take the gelatine from the cold water and squeeze it out, drop it into the infused cream, stir until the gelatine has dissolved. Stir for a while to cool the mix down.
4. Pour into glasses or small bowls then leave to set in the fridge.
5. Cut up the strawberries and mix with the sugar and leave somewhere in the sun for 10 minutes, then place on top of the panna cotta when ready to eat.
Strawberry daiquiri
Makes 2
Ingredients
500g frozen strawberries (or 300g strawberries with 300g ice)
2 limes, juiced
120ml white rum
More ice if needed ice if needed
Method
1. Place all ingredients into a blender and blend together until roughly smooth, like a slushy.