Valentines Day here has been busy with the very un-romantic task of preparing and processing a few dozen jars of chutney, leaving little time to angst over what to prepare for Valentines dessert!
Fortunately, we had some strawberries waiting in the fridge, and some creme fraiche, handy — the basis for the most delicious strawberries and cream ever!
Nothing says Valentines like strawberries, but unfortunately, the gorgeous looking strawberries that come up from California at this time of year are usually devoid of flavour, and need a little help. A quick gratin solves all those woes!
Strawberry Gratin
Ingredients
- half pound strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
- 1 Tablespoon brandy
- 3-4 Tablespoons creme fraiche
- 4 Tablespoons light brown sugar (2 for the strawberries, 2 for the creme fraiche)
Instructions
- At least 1-2 hours before you will serve the gratin, hull and slice the strawberries. Toss with 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar, and the splash of brandy. Let macerate for at least 1-2 hours.
- Turn on the broiler element for your oven.
- Mix the creme fraiche with 1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
- In a shallow, heatproof dish, spread most of the creme fraiche mixture. Layer the strawberries on top (in a single layer). Drizzle the remaining creme fraiche over the top, and sprinkle the remaining 1 T brown sugar over the top.
- Place as close to the broiler element as you can, for approx 3 minutes, until the sugar is bubbling and beginning to brown.
- Serve!
Janice Mansfield
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Janice Mansfield is a personal chef who specializes in creating customized catering and baking for people with food sensitivities. A recipe developer and baker by day, by night, she enjoys delving into the history of classic cocktails and created a line of cocktail bitters for no other reason than she wanted chocolate bitters in her Manhattans! In her spare time, she documents the antics and unbearable cuteness her two Shiba Inus over at Life in the Shiba Shack.
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just to clarify as a socal native those strawberries you get in BC are picked young and green and shipped, if you can get yourself down to ventura county in late april and pick up a few flats from a farmers stand you will know exactly what a strawberry should taste like. I have driven across county to catch strawberry season to make jam and feed my kids practically a flat each. like ramps if you are not there in the moment, you won’t get the full flavor.
Shelley, we do get local strawberries here on Vancouver Island, although they won’t be ripe until mid-June. And yes, they taste infinitely better than the pretty imports from Cali. I only use the local berries for jams and preserves — worth the wait!