Raymond Blanc's strawberry crumble recipe

Raymond Blanc
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Raymond Blanc's strawberry crumble recipe

A traditional English dessert… perfected by the French! I cook the crumble topping separately from the fruit, so it stays crisp, light and delicate. You can vary the fruit with the seasons, adjusting the cooking time accordingly – apples, pears, apricots, plums and rhubarb all make lovely crumbles.

Great served with a scoop of raspberry sorbet.

Chefs tips:

1 Macerating the fruit with sugar draws out the juices, creating a wonderful coulis. It also heightens the flavour of the fruit by at least 30 per cent.

2  Pre-cooking the crumble ensures the gluten in the flour is cooked out and makes the crumble topping lighter and more digestible.

3  The butter emulsifies with the sugar to create a wonderful glaze for the fruit.

4  Planning ahead Make the crumble discs a day ahead; store in a sealed container.

Special equipment:

Food processor, 8cm pastry cutter

At a glance
  • Cuisine English
  • Recipe Type Dessert
  • Difficulty Easy
  • Preparation time 10 mins
  • Cooking time 10 mins
  • Serves 4 people
Ingredients
  • 480 g (16.9oz) Strawberries
  • 60 g (2.1oz) Caster sugar
  • 2 tbsp Water
  • 30 g (1.1oz) Unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp Lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Kirsch (optional)
For the crumble
  • 80 g (2.8oz) Plain flour
  • 50 g (1.8oz) Caster sugar
  • 20 g (0.7oz) Brown sugar
  • 55 g (1.9oz) Unsalted butter

Step-by-step

  1. To macerate the strawberries Halve the berries, place in a bowl and sprinkle with half of the sugar. Set aside while you prepare the crumble.
  2. To make the crumble In a food processor, pulse all the ingredients together to a light crumbly texture, then press together and cut into 2-3cm cubes. Place on a small baking tray, cover and freeze for 1 hour until solid.
  3. Preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas 5. Pulse the cubes of dough in a food processor to break into small pieces of crumble. Spread evenly on a baking tray to a 5mm thickness and bake for 7 minutes until golden brown. While still warm and pliable, cut out 4 discs with the 8cm cutter. Bake these for a further 3 minutes.
  4. To prepare the berries Put the water into a large, heavy-based saucepan, add the remaining 30g sugar and leave for a few minutes, then dissolve over a medium-high heat and cook to a very pale blond caramel. Immediately add the butter3, then the strawberries, lemon juice and kirsch, if using. Heat for 30 seconds.
  5. To serve Divide the warm strawberries between individual dishes and top each serving with a crumble disc. Add a scoop of raspberry sorbet, or vanilla ice cream, or a dollop or crème fraîche if you prefer.

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Photo courtesy of Jean Cazals