Strawberry Trifle

Name: Strawberry Trifle
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: Elderflower Cordial; Gelatine Leaves; Eggs; Caster Sugar; Double Cream; Egg yolks; sponge fingers; gin; Strawberries; Water; Vanilla Pod; Balsamic glaze; Basil leaves; freeze dried strawberries

Ingredients

Serves 8

8 boudoir biscuits or sponge fingers
1 tbsp gin

For the jelly

450g fresh strawberries, quartered
125g caster sugar
180ml elderflower cordial, mixed with 70ml water to make 250ml
6 sheets of leaf gelatine

For the custard

300ml double cream
Seeds from ½ vanilla pod
3 large egg yolks
30g caster sugar

For the macerated strawberries

25g caster sugar
250g strawberries, halved if large
1 tbsp good-quality balsamic glaze
2 fresh basil leaves, chopped

To decorate

Freeze-dried strawberries (optional)
Fresh basil sprigs or leaves, shredded (optional)

Cooking instructions

To make the jelly, put the strawberries into a pan with the sugar and 1 tablespoon of water. Cover and cook gently until soft, about 8 minutes. Pour into a blender and blitz until smooth (or use a stick blender in the pan). Rest a sieve over a bowl, spoon in the strawberry mixture, then stir with a wooden spoon to extract the puréed juice.
Weigh out 250ml of this juice and mix with the diluted elderflower cordial, reserving the remaining strawberry juice to use for soaking the boudoir biscuits. Place the gelatine leaves in a small bowl of cold water and leave for about 3–5 minutes, until softened.
Meanwhile, pour the strawberry and cordial mix into a saucepan, and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat. Squeeze out the gelatine and add to the saucepan, whisking well until it is completely dissolved. Pour the jelly into a large glass bowl or divide among individual glasses, then leave to set in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
To make the custard, pour the cream into a saucepan, add the vanilla and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Put the egg yolks and sugar into a heatproof bowl, and stir using a spatula.
Pour half of the cream onto the egg-yolk mix, stirring constantly, then return the mixture to the remaining cream in the pan, stirring as you go. Cook gently, stirring continuously, until the custard is thickened enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon (65–70°C); do not let it boil. Pour into a bowl, then cool quickly in the fridge.
Meanwhile, put the caster sugar into a large bowl and add 25ml of water. Stir to help dissolve the sugar. Stir in the strawberries, balsamic glaze and basil, then leave to macerate for about 30 minutes.
To assemble the trifle, sit the boudoir biscuits on top of the jelly in a single layer, breaking to fit if using individual glasses. Mix the reserved strawberry juice with the gin and pour evenly over the biscuits. Transfer the bowl or glasses to the fridge to chill briefly.
Pour the cold custard over the soaked biscuits to cover them evenly. Return to the fridge until you’re ready to decorate the top.
To serve, strain the macerated strawberries and spoon over the custard. Decorate with freeze-dried strawberries and basil, if you like.

The Roast Revolution is here. Join the movement with delicious roast mains and get a taste of Gordon's trifle at the restaurants.

Gordon Ramsay Bread Street Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay, published by Hodder & Stoughton on 20^th October, £25
Photographer © Jamie Orlando Smith