Roasted Strawberry and Sichuan Pepper Mille-Feuille

Ingredients

• all-butter puff pastry, store-bought or homemade500g
• fresh strawberries, hulled and halved400g
• caster sugar (for roasting)40g
• Sichuan peppercorns, lightly crushed4g
• whole milk250g
• heavy cream (35%)250g
• egg yolks5 count
• caster sugar (for cream)80g
• cornstarch25g
• butter, cold, cubed30g
• powdered sugar, for finishing40g
• neutral glaze or strawberry jam, warmed60g

Method

1. 1.Toss strawberries with 40g caster sugar and crushed Sichuan peppercorns. Spread on a lined tray and roast at 180°C for 20 minutes until jammy. Cool completely.
2. 2.Roll puff pastry to 3mm thick. Dock thoroughly, place between two baking sheets, and refrigerate 30 minutes.
3. 3.Bake pastry at 200°C for 18 minutes. Remove top tray, dust evenly with powdered sugar, and return to oven at 220°C for 4–5 minutes until deeply caramelized. Cool on a rack.
4. 4.Bring milk and cream to a simmer. Whisk yolks, 80g sugar, and cornstarch in a bowl until pale.
5. 5.Pour hot milk over the yolk mixture slowly, whisking constantly. Return to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until thick and glossy.
6. 6.Off the heat, whisk in cold butter. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and chill for at least 2 hours.
7. 7.Trim pastry into even rectangles (roughly 8×12cm). You need three layers per portion.
8. 8.Transfer chilled pastry cream (crème pâtissière) to a piping bag fitted with a 1cm round tip. Pipe neat rows on the first pastry layer.
9. 9.Nestle roasted strawberries between the cream rows. Set the second pastry layer on top and repeat.
10. 10.Place the final pastry layer caramelized-side up. Brush edges lightly with warm glaze for a polished finish. Serve within 2 hours.