Millefeuille of Summer Fruits

Difficulty:

1/5

Ease of Preparation: Medium
Time of Preparation: 2 hours
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

For the caramelized flaky pastry:

4 ounces flour (110 grams)
Pinch of salt
2 ½ ounces butter (70 grams)
1 tablespoon lemon juice (15 millilitres)
1 egg
2 tablespoons icing sugar (30 millilitres)

For the filling:

1 egg plus one yolk
1-ounce fine sugar (25 grams)
¾ ounce plain flour (20 grams)
7 fluid ounces milk (200 millilitres)
¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
5 ounces raspberries (150 grams)
5 ounces strawberries (150 grams)
2 ounces redcurrants (50 grams)
5 fluid ounces 35% cream (150 millilitres)
1-tablespoon fine sugar (15 millilitres)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit

Wrap the butter in tin foil and put it in the freezer for an hour. After that time, sift the flour and the salt together and take the butter from the freezer. Holding it in the foil, dip it in the flour and then grate it coarsely into the flour. Mix up the flour and butter with a fork until it looks evenly distributed. Sprinkle on the lemon juice and bring the dough together with your hands, adding water if necessary. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and set aside in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

Roll out the dough to fit your baking tray. Prick the surface of the pasty with a fork and brush it with beaten egg and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until a golden brown, crisp colour.

Heat the broiler and sprinkle the pastry with some icing sugar and put it under the broiler until it caramelizes, just a few moments.

Cut the pastry into three equal strips, turn them over and caramelize the underside with the remainder of the icing sugar. Cool the pastry on a wire rack.

Put the egg, the extra yolk and the sugar into a bowl. Whisk until the mixture becomes pale, thick and creamy. Put the milk on to warm. Bring it to boiling point and whisk the milk into the egg mixture. Put the mixture into the pan and continue to beat with a balloon whisk over a medium heat until the mixture thickens. Remove it from the heat and add the vanilla extract. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to cool.

Beat the cream and add the sugar until it is stiff. Add this to the cool custard mixture. Put the bottom layer of pastry on a large serving dish, cover with some of the cream. Top with fruit. Add another layer of pastry, more custard and fruit. Finish with the final layer of pastry and dust with icing sugar. Serve any extra cream and fruit on the side.

Decorate with a golden raspberry and gold leaf.