Neil Forbes recipe: Strawberries and crème fraîche sorbet
Use the best seasonal ingredients and keep dishes simple and delicious, writes Neil Forbes of Cafe St Honoré as he gives us this recipe for strawberries and crème fraîche sorbet
I have a soft spot for Coupar Angus, where we buy our strawberries. My father is from there and our family have a long history in that wee village. I have fond memories of being sent to my auntie’s for a summer “at the berries’’ and eating as many as I could pick. I still remember the taste of the ham and tomato rolls my auntie made for our packed lunches. It is wise not to play around too much with our strawberries. Keep at room temperature and rinse under the tap. And with this crème fraîche sorbet it’s perfect on a hot day “at the berries’’.
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 punnets of strawberries – I get mine from Coupar Angus – husks removed, gently washed and at room temperature
- a few sprigs of mint or sweet cicely
- 750g crème fraîche, I use Katy Rodgers
- 375g unrefined caster sugar
- 325g water
- 50g glucose
- juice of half a lemon
Serves: 4 Difficulty: Medium Time to cook: 20 + 180 in the freezer mins
Method
Strawberries and crème fraîche sorbet
1 To make the sorbet, create a stock syrup by bringing the water, sugar and glucose to the boil and simmering for 3 minutes. Allow to cool and retain a little for a coulis. Whisk in the crème fraîche then add lemon juice to taste. Chill and freeze in an ice-cream machine following the manufacturer’s instructions. Keep in the freezer until required.
2 To make a coulis, take a handful of your strawberries and place into a liquidiser with a squeeze of lemon juice and a little of the stock syrup and blitz until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve into a squeezy bottle for ease of serving.
3 Before serving, ensure the remaining berries are at room temperature, as they taste so much better. Fill four bowls with halved strawberries and squeeze over the coulis then top with a ball of sorbet. Garnish with some fresh mint or sweet cicely.