When in season, we have some of the best strawberries in the world here in England. The natural sugars from the fruits will stick together when pressed for long enough. After a day of pressing, you have a fantastic, fresh tasting dessert that looks incredible.
If you can get them, Alphonso mangoes from India are the best to use, but they do only have a short season.
Serves 8
4 ripe mangoes, peeled and sliced ½cm thick
1kg strawberries, hulled and sliced ½cm thick
2 tablespoons finely chopped tarragon leaves demerara sugar for dusting
For the strawberry ice cream
1kg strawberries, hulled
200g caster sugar
500ml single cream
freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
To assemble this dish you will need a 22cm square cake tin, a 20cm square cake tin and a baking tray. Make room in your fridge for the baking tray with the stacked tins with a heavy weight on top. At least 24 hours before you plan to serve, line the 20cm cake tin with clingfilm, with plenty of overhang.
Press a layer of mango into the clingfilm-lined tin, covering all gaps, then top with a layer of strawberries, sprinkling tarragon with each layer. Make sure you don’t leave any gaps and keep layering until there is no fruit left and the layers are slightly higher than the top of the tin. You should finish with a layer of mango. Fold the clingfilm over the top to seal the fruit in. Pierce the clingfilm with a sharp knife.
Place the 22cm cake tin on top of the filled tin. Turn both tins over so the tin with the mangos and strawberries is now on top. Place the tins on the baking tray and place a heavy weight, such as a full milk carton or cans of tomatoes, on top and put the baking tray into the fridge for 24 hours. The juice should drain through the pierced clingfilm.
Meanwhile, make the strawberry ice cream. Put the strawberries in a heatproof non-metallic bowl with the caster sugar. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and place on top of a saucepan of boiling water, as if you were melting chocolate. Turn the heat down to low and leave the strawberries to stew for 30–40 minutes, until they are very soft and break down.
Remove the pan from the heat, transfer the strawberries to a blender and purée. Pass the purée through a fine sieve into a bowl and leave to cool.
Mix 500g of the strawberry purée and the single cream together. Pour the mix into an ice cream machine and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the mixture to a freezerproof container and freeze until needed.
The next day, when you are ready to serve, remove the clingfilm from the pressed fruit and reserve the drained juices. Cut the fruit into serving portions. A bread knife works best, but otherwise use a long, thin knife. Thinly sprinkle the tops with demerara sugar and use a blowtorch to melt the sugar and make a crispy caramelised top. Serve the pressed fruit with a scoop of the strawberry ice cream, and the reserved juice, if you like.