Grilled strawberries with Pimm’s and vanilla ice cream

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! Flavour-wise, vanilla and strawberries just love each other and the stem 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 grill to high. Hull the strawberries with a knife, cutting off a bit of the flesh too so you get a flat base and place them in a bowl.

Mix in the stem ginger syrup, vanilla seeds, Pimm’s and the stem ginger chunks. Toss together, then place the strawberries on their flat bottoms in a snug-fitting shallow ovenproof dish, tips pointing up in the air. Pour over the juices and stem ginger pieces from the bowl. Place the vanilla pod on top and pop under a heated grill for 3 to 5 minutes until bubbling and delicious-looking.

Wrap the shortbread in a tea 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 fine 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.