Name: Everything strawberry and cheesecake
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: Seves 4
Ingredients: 150g strawberries halved or quartered; 135g soft cheese; 45g crème fraîche; 1 egg; 40g caster sugar; ¾ of a sheet gelatin; 90ml double cream; 150g strawberries; 60g caster sugar; 3 egg yolks; 75ml whipping cream; 2 large strawberries; 70g butter chilled and cubed; 35g soft light brown sugar; 65g plain flour; 45g wholewheat flour; 15g runny honey

Humble Chicken Lychee martini Silky, fruity and tart, this light and tropical cocktail makes for an elegant aperitif. 30 MINUTES + OVERNIGHT INFUSING | SERVES 1 | EASY sansho vodka 40ml (see below) bianco vermouth 10ml (we recommend Contratto Bianco) lime juice 25ml, plus a strip of lime peel to garnish lychee syrup 20ml (see below) SANSHO VODKA (see cook’s notes) sansho peppercorns 5g vodka 250ml LYCHEE SYRUP (see cook’s notes) lychees 10, peeled and stoned caster sugar 1 To make the sansho vodka, combine the sansho peppercorns and vodka. Leave to infuse overnight then filter out the peppercorns using a fine muslin cloth. 2 For the lychee syrup, weigh the lychees and add the same weight of water. Tip into a high-powered blender and whizz until smooth, then pour through a fine sieve set over a bowl. Weigh the lychee liquid and add the same weight of caster sugar, then stir to dissolve. 3 To make the cocktail, measure out all of the ingredients for the cocktail into a shaker. Fill with ice and shake vigorously for 20-30 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a strip of lime peel, gently twisting over the drink to release the oils. cook’s notes This will make more lychee syrup than you’ll need but will keep in the fridge for a week. It’ll also make more sansho vodka than you’ll need and this will keep almost indefinitely. 64 July 2021 Omagazine.com July 2021 Omagazine.com 65 discover eat in, eat out Everything strawberry and cheesecake

150g strawberries
halved or quartered

CHEESECAKE CREAM

135g soft cheese
45g crème fraîche
1 egg
40g caster sugar
¾ of a sheet gelatin
90ml double cream

STRAWBERRY PARFAIT

150g strawberries
60g caster sugar
3 egg yolks
75ml whipping cream

STRAWBERRY SNOW

2 large strawberries

GRAHAM CRUMBLE

70g butter
chilled and cubed
35g soft light brown sugar
65g plain flour
45g wholewheat flour
15g runny honey

Method

step 1
For the cheesecake cream, put the first four ingredients plus a pinch of salt into a blender and whizz until smooth. Put the mixture into a bowl set over a pan of very gently simmering water and cook very slowly for 25 minutes, stirring regularly until thickened slightly.
step 2
Meanwhile, put the gelatin in iced water then, after the 25 minutes, squeeze and add to the pan, stirring to dissolve fully. Pour in the cream and mix again. Divide between four serving bowls and chill for 4-5 hours.
step 3
For the strawberry parfait, remove the tops from the strawberries, put in a blender and whizz until smooth. Boil the sugar and 40ml of water in a small pan until it reaches 120C on a digital thermometer. Meanwhile, use electric beaters to whisk the egg yolks until really thick. Once the sugar mixture reaches 120C, slowly add it to the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then add in the strawberry purée. Whisk the cream until soft peaks and fold into the mixture, pipe into small moulds or ice cube trays, and freeze for at least 3-4 hours.
step 4
For the strawberry snow, put the strawberries into the freezer for 4-5 hours.
step 5
For the graham crumble, heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Put all of the ingredients plus a pinch of salt into a free-standing mixer with a paddle attachment and mix on a medium speed until you have a crumbly texture (but don’t overmix). Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
step 6
To serve, put the strawberry parfait on top of the set cheesecake and sprinkle over the fresh strawberries and crumble. To finish, take the frozen strawberries and grate these over the cheesecake with a fine grater.