Strawberry Mille Feuille with Strawberry Sorbet
Time & Yield
Yield: 10 Mille Feuille
Time: Start the day before for sorbet and if you are making your own puff, but the cream will only take about 1.5 hours
Ingredients
MILLE-FEUILLE
1 packet of puff pastry* We make homemade so included the recipe here
3 ½ to 4 cups (420g to 482g) flour
4 tbsp (57g) unsalted butter, chilled
1 tsp salt
1 ¼ cup (283g) cold water
32 tbsp (454g) unsalted butter, room temp
GLAZED STRAWBERRIES
200g of granulated sugar
300ml of water
1 sprig of fresh mint
20 English strawberries, hulled and cut in half
VANILLA CREAM
80g of granulated sugar
6 egg yolks
240ml of milk
240ml of cream
2 vanilla pods, split and scraped
2 1/2 gelatine leaves, soaked and squeezed out
STRAWBERRY SORBET
120g of granulated sugar
50ml of water
590g of strawberry purée, passed through a fine sieve
½ lime, juiced
CARAMELIZED ALMONDS
50g of whole blanched almonds
100g of caster sugar
1 tsp butter
50ml of water
GARNISH
1 sprig of fresh mint
icing sugar for dusting
Recipe
To make puff pastry, follow the instructions until #11. Alternatively, store-bought can also be used: Measure the flour (3 ½ to 4 cups; 420g-482g) into a mixing bowl. Remove ½ cup of flour and set it aside in another bowl. Take the half stick of chilled butter (4 tbsp; 57g) and cut it into small pieces. Drop the butter into the flour. With two knives, a pastry blender, or your fingertips, cut or rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles cornmeal
Add the salt (1 tsp) to the water (1¼ cup; 283g) and add this to the flour and chilled butter mixture. Mix gently with a fork until you have a rough dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If you need to add more water, do it a tablespoon at a time, until the dough holds together
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it is smooth and the gluten has been somewhat developed, about 2 or 3 minutes. Pat the dough into a 9" square and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes
Take the remainder of the butter (32 tbsp; 454g) and the reserved flour (½ cup) and mix the two together until they're well blended and smooth. You can do this with a mixer, a food processor, with a spoon, or by hand. Pat this butter/flour mixture into an 8" square on a lightly floured piece of waxed paper. Cover it with second sheet of waxed paper and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and put it on a lightly floured surface. Gently roll it into a square about 12" on each side. You don't have to be obsessive about the dimensions, but come pretty close
Once everything has chilled, arrange the dough as a square in front of you. Then place the chilled butter in the center of the dough rotated such that it resembles a diamond shape placed within the larger square of dough, instead of simply placing a smaller square within a larger square. Fold the corners of the dough over the butter until they meet in the middle. Pinch and seal the edges of the dough together (you should be left with a diamond shaped dough in front of you)
Turn the dough over and tap it gently with your rolling pin or by hand into a rectangular shape. (Make sure everything is still completely, but lightly, floured.) If the dough begins to feel too soft, cover it, put it on a small baking sheet, and refrigerate it for 15 minutes
Roll the dough into a larger rectangle, 20" x 10". As you work, keep the dough, the table, and the rolling pin well dusted with flour. Turn the dough over from time to time to keep the layers even. Again, you don't have to be obsessive about the dimensions, but come pretty close
When the dough is the right size, brush any excess flour off the top, and fold the bottom third of the dough up to the center and the top third over (like a business letter). Line the corners up as neatly as you can; if they need help sticking together, dab them with a little water, and turn the dough package 1/4 turn to the right so it looks like a book ready to be opened. If the dough is still cold and relaxed, do another rolling and turning the same way. (Again, if it begins to feel too soft, cover it, put it on a small baking sheet, and refrigerate it for 15 minutes to chill)
If you've successfully rolled it out and folded it twice, you've completed two turns. Classic puff pastry gets six. Continue refrigerating it after each two turns (or more often if necessary) until all six turns are completed. Keep track of how many turns you've made
When all six turns are done, put the dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour (and preferably overnight) before shaping
STRAWBERRY SORBET
To make the strawberry sorbet, bring the sugar (120g) and water (50g) to the boil and then cool down
Mix 120ml of the cooled syrup that you just made with the strawberry purée (590g) and lime juice (from ½ lime) then cool before churning in an ice-cream machine
GLAZED STRAWBERRIES
For the glazed strawberries, combine the sugar (200g) and water (300ml) and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and add the mint (1 sprig). Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature before pouring over the strawberries (20). Leave to macerate for up to 2 hours.
MILLE FEUILLE
To start the mille feuille, roll out the puff pastry until it is 2mm thick. Trim to be a perfect rectangle and set in the freezer
Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF. Place the raw dough on a baking tray between 2 pieces of greaseproof paper, with another baking tray on top to keep the pastry flat. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden
Remove from the oven and place onto a cooling rack. Once cool you should be able to cut the sheet of puff pastry into 30 individual rectangles with a serrated knife, this will make 10 Mille Feuille
VANILLA CREAM
For the vanilla cream, in a large bowl whisk the sugar (80g) and the egg yolks (6) until light and pale in color. Set aside
Bring the milk (240ml), cream (240ml) and vanilla (2 pods worth of seeds) to the boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat and slowly pour into the egg and sugar mixture while whisking.
Return the combined mixture to the sauce pan and bring the mix up to 185ºF on a medium heat. Be sure to use a flat-bottomed wooden spoon or spatula, stirring constantly along the base of the pan. Remove from the heat, add the soaked gelatine (2 1/2 gelatine leaves). Once the gelatine is incorporated, pass the mixture through a fine strainer. Set aside to cool in the fridge.
As soon as the cream mix is cool and set, whisk to create a smooth texture and place into a piping bag with a small round nozzle.
CARAMELIZED ALMONDS
To make the caramelized almonds (50g, blanched), toast the almonds in the oven at 300ºF for 10 minutes
Combine the sugar (100g) and water (50ml) in small pan and place on a medium to high heat. As soon as the mix reaches a dark golden-brown color, remove from the heat and add the butter (1 tsp). Be sure to keep you face clear of the pan, as it will spit back
While the caramel is still hot, use a tooth pick to hold the almonds and dip into the caramel to coat evenly. Place onto a small sheet of grease proof paper to cool and set
ASSEMBLY
To serve, place 1 piece of the mille feuille pastry down as the base. Arrange enough strawberries to cover the pastry and place another piece of the crispy puff pastry on top
Pipe the vanilla cream over the pastry as the next layer and place the third and final piece of pastry on top. Place the caramelized almonds on top and dust with icing sugar. Serve the finished mille feuille with a quenelle of the sorbet and fresh mint
Source:
Mille Feuille: Great British Chefs
Puff Pastry: King Arthur Baking Company