May 24 2024
This lovely, summery pudding is perfect if you’re looking for something cool to serve on a hot day. We slice it and serve it on plates with a few more strawberries scattered around it or stick it in between two wafers for the ultimate ice cream sandwich!
Remember, don’t chuck away your egg whites. Why not make a big, beautiful meringue to serve alongside the parfait!
Preparation time
1 hour, plus overnight cooling
Serves
6–8
Ingredients
300g of ripe strawberries
150g unrefined caster sugar
4 Respectful egg yolks
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence or the seeds from a small vanilla pod
200ml double cream
Method
- Pop the strawberries into the jug of a blender and whizz them up to a vibrant red purée. Pour the purée through a sieve into a bowl to remove the seeds. Set it aside while you make the syrup.
- Put the sugar and 100ml of water into a medium heavy-based pan and set it over a medium–high heat. Stir to help the sugar dissolve and bring the mixture to the boil. Boil the syrup rapidly, until it reaches 120°C on a sugar thermometer or digital temperature probe. This is called the firm ball stage.
- While the syrup is coming up to temperature, whisk the egg yolks in a kitchen stand mixer or with an electric whisk, until they are light and creamy. When the syrup is ready, remove the pan from the heat and very carefully, so as not to burn yourself, with the whisk at a medium high speed, trickle the syrup onto the whipped yolks. The hot sugar will cause the egg yolks to double in volume and it will cook them too. Fold the strawberry purée and the vanilla into the egg mixture, then place the bowl in the fridge to allow the mixture to cool.
- Whisk the cream until it forms soft peaks. Fold this into the cooled strawberry mixture, making sure you don’t leave any little lumps. Line a freezer-proof container or dish with baking parchment and pour in the mixture. Level it off and freeze until firm (about 6–8 hours, or overnight).
- It’s a good idea to transfer the parfait to the fridge for 10–15 minutes to soften before eating.
