Strawberry and Tarragon Mille-Feuille

Ingredients

• all-butter puff pastry (shop-bought or homemade)500g
• powdered sugar, for dusting60g
• whole milk250g
• heavy cream (35%)250g
• fresh tarragon sprigs6
• egg yolks4
• caster sugar80g
• cornstarch30g
• unsalted butter, cold and cubed40g
• heavy cream (35%), for whipping200g
• powdered sugar, for cream20g
• fresh strawberries400g
• caster sugar, for macerating30g
• fresh tarragon leaves, for garnish1g
• lemon juice10g

Method

1. 1.Heat milk, heavy cream, and tarragon sprigs together until steaming. Remove from heat, cover, and steep 30 minutes. Strain out tarragon.
2. 2.Whisk egg yolks, caster sugar, and cornstarch until pale. Pour hot tarragon cream over in a steady stream, whisking constantly.
3. 3.Return mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking, until thick and glossy. Remove from heat, whisk in cold butter.
4. 4.Pour pastry cream (crème pâtissière) into a shallow tray, press cling film directly onto the surface, and chill at least 2 hours.
5. 5.Roll puff pastry to 3mm thick. Dock all over with a fork, place on parchment-lined trays, and rest in the fridge 30 minutes.
6. 6.Preheat oven to 200°C. Bake pastry 15 minutes, then reduce to 180°C. Dust heavily with powdered sugar and bake 10 more minutes until deeply caramelized. Cool completely.
7. 7.Hull and halve strawberries. Toss with caster sugar and lemon juice. Rest 20 minutes, then drain excess liquid.
8. 8.Whip 200g heavy cream with powdered sugar to soft peaks. Fold into the chilled pastry cream in two additions — keep it light.
9. 9.Trim pastry into three equal rectangles per portion. Pipe or spread tarragon cream generously over the base layer.
10. 10.Arrange macerated strawberries over the cream. Add a second pastry layer, repeat cream and strawberries, then cap with the final pastry sheet.
11. 11.Dust the top with powdered sugar. Scatter a few fresh tarragon leaves. Serve within 1 hour for maximum crunch.