For a recent celebration, Mary made this dessert. It’s another fabulous recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi, this time from SIMPLE. The custard is made with double cream and is reminiscent of a crème brûlée without the crunchy layer. And the wonderfully red and tart fruit is a perfect foil.
Preheat your oven to 200ºC (390ºF). Cut 200g (7 oz) of rhubarb into chunks and hull and halve 200g (7 oz) of strawberries. Combine the fruit with 90g (3 oz) of caster sugar and transfer to an oven dish. Roast for 13 minutes or until the fruit softens and the sugar creates a syrup. Remove from the oven and cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 170ºC (340ºF). Whisk 4 large egg yolks with 60g (2 oz) of sugar, 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon of cornflour until smooth. Continue to whisk while gradually adding 600ml (20 fl oz) of double cream until well combined. Pour this mixture into a high-sided ovenproof dish. Place the dish into a larger dish and fill the larger dish with boiling water to about 1 cm (⅓”). Bake for 25 minutes or until set and just beginning to brown on top. Set aside to cool before chilling in the fridge. Serve the custard with the fruit and syrup on top.
michelle picker cooks 