This recipe was inspired from one by Simon Rogan in his book ‘Rogan’.
The syrup recipe makes a much bigger quantity than is required here but I find I cannot successfully blend very small quantities and besides you can freeze it and use again.
Ingredients (serves 2)
- 350g sheep’s yogurt
For the strawberries
- 10 strawberries, approx. 175g
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Zest of ½ lemon
- 1 heaped tbsp honey
For the mint syrup
- 35g mint leaves
- 75g caster sugar
- Juice of ½ lemon juice
- A pinch of xanthan gum
For the filo shards
- 20g melted butter
- 1 sheet of filo pastry
- Icing sugar for dusting
To serve
- Mint leaves
- Freeze dried strawberries (optional)
- Edible flowers (optional)
Method
Place the yogurt in a piece of muslin and twist gently. Transfer into a sieve over a bowl and place in the fridge for some of the whey to drain till needed.
To make the mint olive, bring 150ml water with the sugar and lemon to the boil. Remove from the heat and chill. Place in a blender with the mint leaves and blitz to break down the mint well. Use a fine sieve to strain. Use a clean blender to blitz the syrup with a pinch of xanthan gum for a few seconds in order to thicken.
Hull the strawberries, wash and pat dry. Slice in two lengthwise. Place in a bowl with the remaining ingredients at least one hour before serving. Mix well and leave to macerate in room temperature.
For the filo shards, you need 3 layers. 1 large sheet is enough for 2 people cut into 3 equal size oblongs. Brush each oblong with melted butter, sprinkle with icing sugar, cut into desired shapes and bake in a preheated oven at 190 0 C for 6-8 minutes.
You could also use 3 layers of square pieces to line individual tart cases as I have here to use to serve the strained yogurt in. Drizzle with honey and freeze dried strawberries.
