British strawberries, elderflower, aerated white chocolate, strawberry sorbet

Paul Foster

Paul Foster

18th November 2018
Paul Foster

British strawberries, elderflower, aerated white chocolate, strawberry sorbet

Strawberries are one of the best fruits that we produce in Britain. It is always a shame to see imported strawberries in supermarkets in Autumn and Winter because they have no flavour or aroma. I don’t have them at home until they are good quality. Strawberries are a perfect example of when a product that is worth waiting for because once it’s in season, it’s so good it shouldn’t be messed around with. In this recipe, peak condition summer strawberries are simply dressed and turned into a sorbet.

Ingredients

  • Strawberries
  • 20 British strawberries
  • Elderflower syrup
  • 10 heads of elderflower
  • 1 litre water
  • 500g caster sugar
  • 50g citric acid
  • 2 limes
  • Caramelised white chocolate crisp
  • 200g white chocolate
  • Aerated white chocolate
  • 500g white chocolate
  • 30g sunflower oil
  • Lacto fermented strawberry pureé
  • 1 kg strawberries
  • 200g whey
  • Strawberry sorbet
  • 1 kg lacto fermented strawberry pureé
  • 100g sugar
  • 100g pro sorbet
  • To finish
  • 1 purple elderflower head

Method

Lacto fermented strawberry pureé
Hull the strawberries and mix with the whey. Vacuum pack tightly and leave in a warm room at around 28C for 48 hours. Remove from the bag and blend until smooth.
Strawberry sorbet
Whisk the ingredients together well and taste to check the flavour and sugar levels. Freeze in paco jet containers until solid. Churn in the paco jet before needed to check the consistency.
Elderflower syrup
Slice the limes into 5/6 round slices. Place into a large container with the elderflower and citric acid. Mix the water and sugar together and bring to the boil, poor over the elderflower and leave to cool. Cover with a tight fitting lid and keep in the fridge for 12 hours. After this time pass the syrup though a muslin cloth and store in the fridge until needed.
Caramelised white chocolate crisp
Spread the chocolate out evenly on a lined baking sheet and bake at 160C until lightly golden. Place in a blender and blend until a smooth golden pureé is achieved. Roll out to 2mm thickness between two sheets of parchment paper and set in the fridge.
Aerated white chocolate
Melt the chocolate with the oil and poor into an isi gas canister, charge with two gas chargers and shake well. Keep warm until needed. Turn the canister upright and squirt into a lined plastic vacuum container about 1-2 cm high. Place the lid on and set to vacuum. Place the container into a vacuum pac machine and close the lid to remove the air. Carefully watch the white chocolate rise as the air is removed and press stop when the chocolate is around 5 cm high. Place the whole container in the fridge for 2 hours to completely set.
To finish
Cut the green tops off the strawberries and dress with the elderflower syrup. Leave to macerate for 5 minutes. Cut the aero into small blocks, and snap the white chocolate crisp into small flat pieces. Arrange on a plate, finish with a scoop of the sorbet and sprinkle with the purple elderflower.

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