warm strawberries with pimm’s and vanilla ice cream

method

This is an incredible dish based on the British Pimm’s cocktail – a summertime classic. And it only takes about 10 minutes from start to finish! Flavorwise, vanilla and strawberries just love each other and the ginger gives the whole thing a brilliant extra tweak. When you eat it, there’s a great mix of crunchy, cold, hot and sweet. You’ve got to give it a go.

Preheat your broiler to high. Hull the strawberries with a knife, cutting off a bit of the fl esh too so you get a fl at base, and place them in a bowl. Mix in the ginger syrup, vanilla seeds, Pimm’s and ginger chunks. Toss together, then place the strawberries on their fl at bottoms in a snug-fi tting shallow
ovenproof dish, tips pointing up in the air. Pour over the juices and ginger pieces from the bowl. Place the vanilla bean on top and pop under the preheated broiler for 3 to 5 minutes until bubbling and delicious-looking.

Wrap the shortbread in a kitchen towel or put it in a plastic bag and tie a knot in the end. Smash it with a rolling pin until you have quite fi ne crumbs. When the strawberries have softened and are hot all the way through, divide them between four bowls. Scrape up all the sticky bits on the bottom of the dish
and carefully stir.

Pour the delicious juices over the strawberries and top with a dollop of soft vanilla ice cream. Sprinkle with the smashed shortbread and place a few mint leaves on top.

serves: 4

ingredients

• 1 pound strawberries, washed
• a couple of pieces of ginger in syrup, chopped, plus 3 tablespoons of the ginger syrup from the jar
• 1 vanilla bean, split
lengthways and seeds scraped out
• a couple of splashes of
Pimm's
• 8 butter shortbread cookies
• vanilla ice cream, to serve
• a few sprigs of fresh mint