Strawberries, with their vibrant colour, juicy sweetness and endless versatility, are the star ingredient of summer dishes.
To go beyond strawberries and cream and make the most of the fruit while it’s in peak season, we’ve asked some of our favourite chefs for their innovative recipes.
From Fallow’s Jack Croft and Will Murray, transform overripe strawberries into a sweet consommé. This consommé can elevate desserts and breakfasts or pair with balsamic vinegar for a fresh salad dressing. Try it drizzled over Jerusalem artichoke panna cotta and topped with crystallised strawberry tops.
Cubitt House’s Ben Tish presents a warm wild strawberry crostata, inspired by an Italian bakery treat. Lightly cooked strawberries retain their juiciness, complemented by earthy walnuts. Served warm, it’s perfect with cream or gelato.
Patrick Williams offers a whipped panna cotta with Greek yoghurt, balancing sweetness with a hint of sourness. This versatile dessert can be prepared in advance and adapted with seasonal fruits for a refreshing finish.
Tommy Banks’ strawberry and basil cheesecake features a no-bake shortbread base with a creamy basil-infused filling, topped with fresh strawberries and a homemade strawberry sauce. It’s a sophisticated dessert that’s sure to impress.
Paul Ainsworth’s strawberry trifle layers cream cheese topping, strawberry jelly and set custard with fresh strawberries. Finished with sprinkles and lemon zest, it’s a nostalgic treat perfect for guests of all ages.
Strawberry consommé
Recipe from: Jack Croft and Will Murray, co-head chefs and co-founders of Fallow
“Don’t let your overripe strawberries go to waste! Transform them into a sweet and delicate consommé that elevates your summer desserts and breakfasts, or combine with balsamic vinegar for a fresh salad dressing.
“In a Fallow twist on a classic English strawberries and cream, the consommé is drizzled over Jerusalem artichoke panna cotta and topped with crystallised strawberry tops.”
Ingredients:
For the strawberry consommé:
500g strawberries
50g caster sugar
For the artichoke panna cotta:
100g egg yolks
80g white caster sugar
13g gelatine
250ml double cream
250g jerusalem artichoke puree
Fine salt
Method:
For the strawberry consommé:
1. Place the strawberries and sugar in a metal bowl and cover with cling film. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water until juice starts to appear.
2. Keep this slowly boiling for 2 hours on the minimum heat.
3. Strain through a J-cloth or cheesecloth over a bowl overnight.
4. Drizzle the consommé over ice cream or Greek yoghurt.
For the artichoke panna cotta:
1. Whisk the egg yolk and sugar in a mixing bowl.
2. Place the gelatine to a bowl of iced water, leave submerged for 5 minutes
3. Combine the double cream, artichoke puree and a pinch of salt in a pan and place over a low heat. Bring to 52C while stirring continuously.
4. Once at temperature, pour a third of the cream mixture into the egg yolks and whisk together.
5. Add the egg mix back into the pan and stir constantly until temperature reaches 70C, paying close attention not to catch on the bottom.
6. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to 60C. Remove gelatine from water and squeeze any excess liquid, add it to the custard mixing thoroughly.
7. Divide mixture in to 6 bowls or ramekins and leave for a couple of hours or until set.
Warm wild strawberry crostata
Recipe by: Ben Tish, chef director, Cubitt House
“Crostata are ubiquitous all over Italy in various shapes and forms and with a variety of fillings. You’ll often find a fruit jam beneath the crumbly pastry and the Sicilains like to use the abundant citrus fruits around in the winter months to make marmalades and compotes to fill them.
“My version here was inspired by one I picked up in a bakery in Marsala using the most incredibly fragrant wild strawberries that seemed lightly scented with rose although apparently they weren’t. I especially liked it as the strawberries were just lightly cooked, retaining a juicy texture, while the walnuts add an earthiness.
“Served warm this is divine, especially with cream or gelato.”
Note: If you can source wild strawberries, great, otherwise English strawberries in the summer season are absolutely delicious too.
Makes: a crostata to serve 8-10
Equipment: You’ll need a 20cm tart tin with a removable base
Ingredients:
For the pastry:
100g walnuts
250g 00 flour
120g golden caster sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp baking powder
Zest of 1 orange
120g unsalted butter- melted
3 egg yolks
For the filling:
500g wild or British hulled strawberries – if they are large then cut in half
2 tbsp caster sugar
150ml double cream
100g walnuts
Method:
1. Make the pastry by blitzing the walnuts in a processor until a fine crumb. Transfer to a bowl and mix with the flour, zest, sugar and baking powder and salt. Now make a well in the centre and mix in the butter and egg yolks and form into a firm dough.
2. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill for at least 1 hour before using.
3. As the dough is traditionally very crumbly it doesn’t get rolled. Instead, tear pieces off and press it into the tin until fully layered-using about 2/3 of the dough. It will look rustic but that the result you want – a bit ragged. Transfer to a freezer to firm up for 30 minutes.
4. Heat an oven to 180C.
5. Heat a large sauté pan over a medium heat. When hot throw in the strawberries and toss through quickly. They may scorch a little, which is fine. Now sprinkle over the sugar and pour around the cream. Move the strawberries around the pan and let them brown in the sugar-cream mix but be careful not to burn. Reduce down and then add the walnuts and turn off the heat.
6. Remove the tart base from the freezer and line with baking parchment and then baking beans or rice and blind bake for 12 minutes to seal.
7. Turn the oven down to 170C.
8. Remove the paper and beans and then spoon the strawberry mix into the tart to fill.
9. Pull pieces off the rest of the dough and crumble this onto the top of the tart, rustic-style, leaving gaps as you go here and there.
10. Return the tart to the oven and bake for 30minutes before turning the oven down to 150C and baking for a further 10 minutes.
12. The top will have turned a deep golden brown and the fruits will be sticky and bubbling away inside. Serve the crostata just warm.
Whipped panna cotta and strawberries
Recipe from: Patrick Williams, co-founder of Kudu Collective (Kudu, Kudu Grill, Little Kudu and Curious Kudu)
This is also great for dinner parties because you can make it in advance and change up the fruit depending on the season. The Greek yoghurt gives it a slight sourness that balances out the sweetness of meringues.
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
250g Greek yoghurt
250g double cream
125g milk
½ tsp vanilla paste
35g sugar
3 sheets gelatine
1 punnet fresh strawberries
1 box of meringues
Method:
1. Soak the sheets of gelatine in iced water until soft.
2. Warm the double cream, milk, vanilla paste and sugar on a low heat. Then add the yoghurt and gelatine into the pan and whisk to combine. Once fully combined, take off the heat and chill in the fridge.
3. Once set, which will take 2 hours, whip by hand to loosen until it looks creamy.
4. Cut the strawberries in half and then divide the panna cotta mixture into 4 bowls and press the spoon into the middle, creating a hole. Divide the strawberries between the bowls and add to the hole.
5. Break up the meringues and sprinkle on top of the panna cotta.
Strawberry and basil cheesecake
Recipe from: Tommy Banks, chef-owner of The Black Swan, Roots and Made in Oldstead
Serves: 10-12
Prep time: 30 minutes (+ 1 hour) | Setting time: 12-24 hours
Ingredients:
250g shortbread biscuits, crushed
100g unsalted butter, melted
4 gelatine leaves (optional)
80g sugar
Small bunch basil, leaves picked (reserve 10 or so for garnish)
5 egg yolks
450g cream cheese
350g double ream
100g white chocolate, melted
10 strawberries, stems removed and cut in half
For your homemade strawberry sauce:
250g strawberries
25g icing sugar
Method:
1. Grease and line a 23cm round springform tin. In a bowl, combine crushed shortbread and melted butter and mix until well combined. Press mixture into the of the cake tin, and smooth with the back of the smooth to ensure the base is flat and even. Refrigerate.
2. Prep the gelatine leaves according to pack instructions. Meanwhile, with a pestle and mortar, combine 50g of sugar with the basil leaves and grind to a fine green pulp. Add to a small bowl with remaining sugar, and whisk together.
3. In a stand mixer combine egg yolks, gelatine, cream cheese and basil sugar, and beat together on a medium to high speed for two minutes until thick. Before the mixture thickens completely, add in your melted white chocolate.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk cream until it reaches soft peaks and slowly fold into creamy cheese mixture one spatula at a time.
5. Remove tin from the fridge and add a layer of strawberry halves. Spoon over cheesecake mixture and ensure it’s evenly distributed and there are no air bubbles. Leave to set overnight.
6. When ready to serve, blend together strawberries and icing sugar with 50ml water for about 30 seconds.
7. Before serving, blend 150g strawberries with icing sugar and 50ml of water for 30 seconds. Drizzle over strawberry sauce, and garnish with basil leaves.
Strawberry trifle
Recipe from: Paul Ainsworth, chef owner of The Mariners, Paul Ainsworth at No6 and Caffè Rojano
Makes: 10-12 small individual trifles
Ingredients:
For the cream cheese topping:
250g crème fraiche
700g Philadelphia
250g icing sugar
500g double cream
1g vanilla seeds
For the strawberry jelly:
1kg frozen or over ripe/soft strawberries
300g caster sugar
2L white wine
5g hibiscus
¼ bunch of thyme
4 sheets of Gelatine
For the set custard:
100ml double cream
700ml whole milk
4 rich egg yolks
100g caster sugar
35g Birds custard powder
2g vanilla seeds
2 sheets gelatin
To finish and to build the trifle:
200g fresh ripe strawberries cut into wedges
10 sponge fingers
100s and 1000s sprinkles to finish
1 lemon for zesting
Method:
For the cream cheese topping:
1. In a bowl whip the double cream until you reach soft peak.
2. In a separate bowl combine the rest of the ingredients and mix well to incorporate together.
3. Fold through the soft peak double cream in 3 stages and once all is added you can whip until nice and thick.
4. Place the mixture into a piping bag and chill ready to finish your trifle.
For the strawberry jelly:
1. Place all of the ingredients into a pan except the gelatine, then bring to a gentle boil.
2. Remove the pan from the heat and cover with a lid or cling film and leave to infuse for at least 5 hours!
3. Pass the infused strawberry stock through a fine sieve and keep in the fridge until you make the jelly.
4. To make the jelly take 500g of strawberry stock and bring to the simmer, whilst this is happening soak 4 sheets of gelatine in cold water and once soft squeeze off the water and add to your warm strawberry stock to dissolve.
5. Leave this to cool slightly before making your trifle.
For the set custard:
1. Mix the milk and cream together in a saucepan.
2. Whisk together the sugar, egg yolk and birds custard until light and fluffy.
3. Pour over half the cold cream and milk mixture over egg mix to make a paste.
4. Heat the rest of the milk and cream with vanilla in a saucepan.
5. Pour heated cream and milk over the egg paste mixture.
6. Return all the mix to pan.
7. Cook on low-medium heat until starts thickening.
8. To set the custard for the trifle take 1 liter of finished custard and heat gently to about 70/80c whilst this is happening soak 2 sheets of gelatin in cold water and squeeze any water off once soft then add to the warm custard to dissolve.
9. Let the custard cool to room temperature before adding to the trifle.
To finish and to build the trifle:
1. To build the trifle add some chopped strawberries to your dish then cover generously with the strawberry jelly liquid.
2. Chop the sponge fingers into 1 cm pieces and add a layer on to the jelly, the liquid jelly should soak into the sponge. Place the dishes into the fridge to set completely.
3. Once the jelly is set add a good layer of room temperature custard on top about 1cm deep or more if you like, place into the fridge again to set firm.
4. Once the custard is set you can now pipe the whipped cream cheese mixture on onto and make it as clean or as messy as you like!
5. Finish the trifle with 100s and 1000s and a little lemon zest.
