Fraisier with Diplomate Custard

Make the lady finger batter.

Preheat your oven at 180 degrees.

Pour the egg whites in your food processor bowl and whisk.

Once they get rather firm, add the sugar in 3 times.

When your meringue is very firm, add the egg yolks one by one and whisk gently (speed 2 on a scale from 1 to 6).

Add finally the sifted flour and mix gently with a spatula until you get an homogeneous batter.

Take your piping bag and diameter 10 or 12 nozzle, fill it.

Make 2 round shapes, one 18 cm diameter, the other one 16 cm on a baking paper sheet. Spread icing sugar.

Cook 10 minutes.

When you remove your biscuits from the oven, place your baking sheets on your workplan. When cooling down, the steam will help remove the lady fingers from the baking sheets.

Let cool down on a grid.

Make the strawberry concentrate.

Place the gelatine sheet in cold water.

Cut 150 g strawberries in cubes.

Place them in a sauce pan with the sugar and lemon juice.

Heat until it starts boiling. Let cook with little bubbles for 5 minutes.

Remove from the stove then mix with your hand mixer.

Set 2 tablespoons aside.

Add the drained gelatine to the rest of the concentrate, pour in a 18 cm diameter mold covered with clingfilm. Set aside in your freezer.

Make the vanilla custard.

Pour the milk in a saucepan with the vanilla pod cut in two.

Boil and remove immediately from the heat. Set aside for 15 minutes.

During that time, whip the egg yolks with the sugar until it gets white.

Then add the corn starch and whip again.

Pour half of the milk on your mixture and mix. Pour the other half, mix again.

Pour the whole mixture in your saucepan and boil for 2 minutes while whipping with energy (otherwise your cream will cook too much at some point). (I do that at medium heat)

When the cream has the right consistency, add the butter, mix well. Add the drained gelatine, mix.

Pour it in a plate and cover with a clingfilm to avoid having a thick crust. Set aside in your fridge.

When the custard is cold, whisk the liquid cream and mascarpone into chantilly.

Set aside in your fridge.

Whisk the custard for one minute. Add the chantilly gently with a spatula.

Set aside in your fridge.

Proceed with final assembly.

Place your pastry ring and your pastry ribbon around the 16 cm diameter biscuit.

Place the strawberries, cut in half, cut face against the boarder (as shown on the picture).

Pipe the diplomate custard between the strawberries and on the biscuit. Spread with a small spatula.

Place the frozen strawberry concentrate in the center. Add one layer of fresh strawberries cut in cubes or slices.

Cover with diplomate custard.

Place the other biscuit.

Cover with more diplomate custard, spread with a spatula. Pipe the rest of the custard in the middle of your fraisier.

Finalize decoration with strawberries and strawberry concentrate (the one set aside).

Set aside in your fridge until serving.