STRAWBERRY GRANITÉ ROSACE; SZECHUAN PEPPERCORN SORBET
A CYLINDRICAL FAN made of thin slices of strawberries hides a crunchy almond crumble under a frozen strawberry granité. On the buttery sablé breton, strawberries find their place in an array of textures. A citrusy Szechuan pepper sorbet brings a lingering pleasant spice that balances the naturally sweet strawberries.
Servings
6
Servings
6
Ingredients
Vanilla Sablé Breton
Strawberry Juice (makes 4 cups)
Strawberry Gelée
Strawberry Sauce
Strawberry Granité
Szechuan Pepper Sorbet (makes 1 quart)
To Finish
Instructions
For the Vanilla Sablé Breton
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Unwrap the dough and place on a sheet of parchment paper. Top with another sheet of parchment and roll the dough into a ¼-inch-thick sheet. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet, remove the top sheet of parchment paper and, bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and, using a ruler as an aid, cut the sablé while still hot into 3 × 1-inch rectangles. If desired, use a ¼-inch-diameter ring cutter to remove about 8 holes from the sablé rectangles in a free-form pattern.
  2. Return to the oven for 8 minutes, or until the entire surface is golden brown. Cool at room temperature, then transfer the rectangles to an airtight container.
For the Strawberry Juice
  1. Fill one-third of a large saucepan with water and bring to a simmer. In a large heatproof bowl, toss the strawberry slices with the sugar, cover with plastic wrap, and set over the simmering water. Heat until the strawberries release their juices, about 1 hour. Line a fine-meshed sieve with cheesecloth, place over a bowl, and pour in the strawberry mixture. Strain well (but do not press the berries or the juice will turn cloudy) at room temperature for 2 hours. Reserve the juice, chilled.
For the Strawberry Gelée
  1. Soak the gelatin sheets in ice water for 10 minutes; squeeze dry. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the strawberry juice and sugar and simmer until dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the gelatin until dissolved. Pour onto a rimmed plate to reach ⅛-inch thickness. Refrigerate until the gelée is set, about 1 hour. Use a ¼-inch ring cutter to cut discs from the gelatin, lift them with an offset spatula, transfer to a plate, and keep chilled.
For the Strawberry Sauce
  1. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and pectin. In a small saucepan, bring the strawberry juice to a simmer. Whisk in the sugar mixture and simmer, continuing to whisk for 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl set over ice and stir to chill.
For the Strawberry Granité
  1. In a small saucepan, simmer the strawberry juice with the sugar until dissolved. Cool, stir in the lemon juice, and pour into a bowl or container to form an approximately ¼-inch-thick layer. Freeze for 3 to 4 hours, stirring with a fork every 30 minutes, to form ice crystals. When finished, the granité should have a fine, crumbly texture.
For the Szechuan Pepper Sorbet
  1. In a medium saucepan, bring 1¾ cups water, the sugar, and the glucose powder to a simmer. Remove from the heat, add the Szechuan peppercorns, cover, and infuse for 4 minutes. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve into a bowl set over ice. Stir to chill, then whisk in the sour cream and lemon juice. Continue stirring until well chilled. Spin in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
To Finish
  1. Set acetate rings on a flat tray. Cut each strawberry lengthwise into about 8 slices and fan them into the interior of the plastic rings, overlapping them with the tips facing upward; save 6 slices for setting a scoop of ice cream on top. Sift powdered sugar onto the vanilla sablé cookies in a decorative pattern.
  2. For each serving, place a vanilla sablé breton rectangle in the center of a chilled dessert plate and decorate it with discs of strawberry gelée and dots of strawberry sauce. Place a strawberry ring on one side of the plate and place a spoonful of crumble inside. Scoop a spoonful of strawberry granité onto the crumble, forming a mound at the top; lift away the acetate ring. Scoop a spoonful of Szechuan pepper sorbet onto a strawberry slice on the other side of the plate.