Strawberry Fool

Step 1

To make strawberry coulis: Blend fresh strawberries and sugar until smooth. The amount of sugar you use will depend on the sweetness of the fruit.

Step 2

To make the lemon curd: Whisk together the lemon juice, sugar, yolks, and salt. Add the butter and set over a double boiler.

Step 3

Use a rubber spatula to stir the lemon curd until it starts to thicken. It should coat the spatula and cling to it before you remove it from the heat. Strain into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill over an ice bath or in the freezer for 20 minutes and then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Can be made a few days ahead and kept refrigerated.

Step 4

To make the fresh strawberry garnish: Toss the cut strawberries with the brown sugar, mint and lime zest. Let sit about 30 minutes. Spoon on top of fool just before serving.

Step 5

To make fool: Whip heavy cream with confectioners’ sugar to medium peaks. It is crucial that the cream is stiff enough to hold up to the coulis, but isn’t whipped too much and grainy. Fold half the cream into half the chilled strawberry coulis. Fold the lemon curd into remaining cream.

Step 6

Spoon half the strawberry-cream layer into eight 8-ounce glasses, spoon 2 tablespoons coulis over the cream in each glass, then spoon half the lemon curd over the coulis. Repeat this with remaining strawberry-cream, coulis and lemon curd-cream. You’ll end up with eight layers. Top with fresh strawberry garnish.