Phil Vickery's strawberry mille feuille
It may have been a very wet start to the summer but it’s made for the juiciest of strawberries! Cooking up a strawberry storm is Phil who will be making a Strawberry Mille Feuille. It's so good it will cure your sweet tooth and leave your berry taste buds tantalising.
Strawberry Mille Feuille
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
1 large sheet ready rolled puff pastry1 tbsp vanilla extract560ml double cream, very lightly whipped4-5 tbsp good quality strawberry jam300g ripe, fresh English strawberries, hulled and sliced8-10 tbsp icing sugar
For the strawberry sauce:300g fresh ripe strawberries, washed and hulledAbout 100g castor sugar, depending on the sweetness of the strawberriesJuice of half a lemon2-3 tbsp good quality strawberry jam, if strawberries are a little tasteless
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C, Gas 4. Unwrap the puff pastry carefully, then re-roll it so it gets nice and thin. Place on a baking sheet and dock really well with a fork
2. Pop the pastry in the hot oven and cook for 20-25 minutes or until nicely risen and golden brown - take care with puff pastry it tends to burn very quickly once you take your eyes off it. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack and cool. It must be cooked right through, it’s very important.
3. Next place the vanilla and cream into a bowl and whip, but do not over whip. Keep as cold as possible.
4. Once cooked and cooled, cut the pastry into three equal pieces lengthways
5. Spread two of the layers with the jam, this is a novel idea not only does it sweeten the dessert, but it also brings out the flavour of the strawberries. Don’t skimp on the jam. Place the strawberries on top of the jam.
6. Using a palette knife spread a thick layer of whipped double cream on top of the strawberries and jam. Then carefully using a palette knife lift one of the strips of pastry onto the top of the other and nestle down nicely.
7. Place the last piece of pastry on top and sprinkle the icing sugar over evenly.
8. Chill until set, press lightly and slice. Serve with the extra double cream and strawberry sauce.
9. To make the sauce, place the washed then and berries in a liquidiser along with the sugar, lemon juice and jam. Blitz until smooth - you may need to add a touch of cold water to let the sauce down if it’s too thick. Pass through a fine sieve and chill well.