Begin with the cultured cream or crème fraiche if you like – you need 20% culture to cream and here we use buttermilk. We just combine both liquids, leave in a clean airtight container in a cool dry place.
We use our dry store – your aiming for a temperature between 22- 25 degrees Celsius. This is the optimum temperature for the bacteria in the buttermilk to do its work on the cream. After 24 hours it will be ready – but check at 12 hours just by whisking back together if the liquids have separated at all.
At 24 hours it should be thickened and slightly sour. We then put this in the fridge and allow to firm up. Its then perfect consistency to quenelle. This should keep for up to a week in the fridge. You can leave the cream longer should you like a more sour flavour.
Put the butter in a pan and melt gently. When completely melted, turn up the heat until it turns a deep golden brown colour. Quickly transfer to a cold mixing bowl and leave to cool.
Put the flour in a kitchen with the butter and a good pinch of salt. Mix together until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add in the egg yolks, then finally the icing sugar, until the dough starts to clump together. Shape gently into a rectangle , wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Heat the oven to 160° . Remove the dough from the fridge. On a lightly floured surface, gently roll out the dough to around the thickness of a £1 coin, in one large sheet Place on a tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 15- 18 minutes until pale golden around the edges and crisp. When still warm use a cutter to cut to desired size or break into shards. It will be very short and delicate but this is the beauty of this recipe
Hull the strawberries and then quarter, squeeze in the juice from the lemon and the elderflower and mix to dress. Leave to sit for 10-15 minutes before using to allow the juices to dress the strawberries.
For the gel - place in a bowl place the strawberries, lemon, sugar and water, wrap in cling film and stew for 1 hour over a bain marie. Strain the liquid from the strawberries and measure. 800ml of juice, place in pan and bring to the boil. Once boiling add the 8g of agar agar and boil for a further minute. Take off the heat ,strain and allow to set. Once set solid, blitz in a food processor until smooth and shiny. Pass through a chinois and place in a piping bag ready to use.
For the sorbet - place in a pan place the strawberry puree, trimoline and glucose. Bring to a gentle simmer just to dissolve all ingredients together. Add the citric acid to bring some acidity or you can use lemon juice, strain through a chinois. Allow to cool. Churn in and ice cream machine or set in paco jet containers and whiz just before use.