Wimbledon is famed for its fresh strawberries, and their price, buteven if you don’t have tickets to visit courtside and the cash to spare you can at least recreate these delicious desserts from Head Pastry Chef at Playboy Club London Jaime Garbutt which have been inspired by Britain’s favourite summer time fruit.
The (Tennis) Knickerbockerglory is a mountain of strawberry fun, with Chantilly cream and sumptuous strawberries on every level – the nicest pair of Tennis Knickers you’ll see this Summer. The Umpire’s Mess is the antidote to a rainy or sunny day on Hennman Hill, with extra fruity elderflower chantilly cream, the Umpire’s Mess is an elegant dessert to accompany the sporting fortnight.
Strawberry (Tennis) Knickerbockerglory
Recipe and method for 4 ice creams
Strawberry Ice cream
1kg strawberries
250g cream
50g sugar
50g crème fraiche
50g strawberry liquor
Candied almonds
100g flaked almonds
50g icing sugar
Strawberry syrup
200g strawberries
200g sugar
1 lemon juiced
Macerated strawberries
16 strawberries hulled and quartered
100g strawberry syrup
Chantilly
250g cream
1 vanilla pod, split and scraped
100g sugar
3 passion fruits, pulp only
Passion fruit syrup
3 passion fruit, pulp only
30g sugar
30g water
- To make the ice cream, place the strawberries in a blender and liquefy. Then pass the berries through a fine sieve placed over a bowl, forcing through the pulp till you’re left with a smooth puree. Tip the puree into a saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil. Reduce to 500ml. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream, sugar, crème fraiche, and liquor. Chill until cooled and churn in an ice cream machine. Set aside in freezer. Ice cream done!
- Make the strawberry syrup by placing the berries in a blender and liquefying them. Pass through a fine sieve reserving the juice. Tip into a pan and warm slightly. Remove from heat, add sugar and lemon, stir to dissolve and set aside to cool.
- For the jelly, place the strawberries in a large bowl, mix in the icing sugar and cover with cling film tightly. Place the bowl above a pot of simmering water and allow to steep for approx. 1 hour or until strawberries have given up a lot of juice and most of their colour. Pour into a colander and allow to drain over a bowl for a few hours tipping from left to right to move strawberries around. Weigh out liquid to 190g, add the sugar, liquor and bring to the boil. Add strawberry syrup and gelatine, stir to dissolve. Pour into a Tupperware or shallow container and chill in the fridge for three hours or until set.
- Toast almonds in a dry pan over low heat until golden. Add icing sugar and stir to coat the almonds evenly as sugar caramelises. Remove from the heat and pour onto a tray and allow to cool.
- Macerate the fresh strawberries by placing them in a large bowl and coat with the strawberry syrup.
- For the Chantilly, whisk the cream, sugar and vanilla until you have soft peaks. Add the passion fruit and whisk until firm peaks form. Spoon into piping bag and place in fridge.
- For the passion fruit syrup, place the fruit, sugar and water in a pan and bring to the boil. Remove and chill.
- To assemble locate 4 large icecream glasses or tall wine glasses. Layer – Strawberries, Chantilly, passion fruit sauce, strawberry ice cream, strawberries, jelly and then Chantilly with candied almonds and strawberry syrup
- Sit back and enjoy your Tennis Knickerbockerglory – game, set and match!
Umpire’s Mess
Recipe and method for 4 servings
Elderflower Chantilly
250g cream
14g sugar
1 vanilla pod, split and scraped
75g elderflower syrup
Macerated strawberries
16 strawberries hulled and quartered
100g strawberry syrup
Meringue
200g sugar
100g egg whites
1 vanilla pod, split and scraped
Jelly
500g strawberries
1 tbsp icing sugar
35g strawberry liquor
25g sugar
50g strawberry syrup
2 gelatine leaves
Strawberry syrup
200g strawberries
200g sugar
1 lemon juiced
Strawberry sorbet
600g strawberries
50g strawberry liquor
50g sugar
- First, make the elderflower Chantilly. In a large bowl, whisk the cream, sugar and vanilla together until soft peaks form. Add elderflower and whisk till peaks stand up firmly. Scoop into a piping bag and place in the fridge.
- Next make the meringue, using an electric mixer whisk the egg whites till light and fluffy. Pour the sugar onto a tray lined with parchment paper and place in oven at 180c (turn off the fan) for 10 minutes until very hot, but not melted. Carefully pour the sugar over whisking whites, add the seeds from the scraped vanilla pod and whisk till cool. Spread as thick as you like onto a baking sheet and place in an oven with fan on at 100c for an hour until crisp through (this will require more time if your oven has no fan). Remove and set aside to cool.
- For the strawberry syrup, place the strawberries in a blender. Blend thoroughly and pass through a fine sieve to remove the seeds, reserving the liquid. Tip the juice into a saucepan over low heat and warm slightly. Remove from heat, add the sugar and lemon juice, stir to dissolve. Set aside to cool.
- To macerate the strawberries, toss the quartered berries with the strawberry syrup. Set aside.
- Next make the jelly. Place the strawberries in a large bowl, mix in the icing sugar and cover tightly with cling film. Place the bowl above a pot of simmering water and allow to steep for approx 1 hour or until strawberries have given up a lot of juice and most of their colour. Pour into a colander and allow to drain over a bowl for a few hours tipping from left to right to move strawberries around occasionally. Weigh out 190g liquid in to a sauce pan and add the sugar, liquor and bring to the boil over medium heat. Add the strawberry syrup and gelatine. Stir to dissolve and pour into a Tupperware or shallow container and place in fridge for 3 hours or until set.
- Finally make the sorbet. Place the strawberries in blender and liquefy. Pass the juice through a fine sieve to remove the seeds reserving the liquid. Measure out 500g of juice and pour into a sauce pan and add the sugar and liquor. Bring to the boil and pass through a fine sieve. Chill in fridge and churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions.
- Present on large dessert plates. A small amount of cream in the middle of the plate, with meringue placed on top. A further layer of cream and flatten to create an indent for the strawberry sorvet. Dress the plate with macerated strawberries, jelly and sprigs of basil.