Roasted Strawberry & Lemon Meringue Semifreddo

Strawberries, lemon, meringue and cream, all great as individuals, but how about combining them into a scrumptious dessert which is basically a take on Eaton Mess. I’ve used roasted strawberries, but fresh are fine too, just sweeten with a little sugar.

Semifreddo is Italian for “half cold” and refers to a partially frozen dessert, and is the perfect way to make these ingredients sing.

My simple microwave lemon curd is always great to have in the fridge, and my meringue recipe is so simple - just put all the ingredients in the mixer and walk away for 15 minutes while it comes together. Of course you can buy both, but the flavour and texture is not the same.

Ingredients

• 10 oz thickened cream
• 200g Greek yoghurt
• 200g roasted strawberries, roughly chopped, you can also use fresh strawberries sweetend with a little sugar
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• tbs lemon curd – homemade or store bought – just don’t use the neon yellow variety.
• 4 -5 meringues, homemade or store bought
• A few extra strawberries and raspberries for decoration.

Method

1. Roughly crush meringues, leaving some larger chunks, set aside.
2. Line a terrine mould or loaf tin with baking paper, leaving enough overhang for easy removal later.
3. In a cold mixing bowl, whip the cream until fairly thick, adding the sugar close to end. Fold in yoghurt.
4. Fold in the strawberries and meringue pieces until evenly combined.
5. Swirl the lemon curd into the cream and strawberry mixture in only a few folds of a large metal spoon. The goal is to create a ribbon of the lemon flavour for contrast, and not blend it completely.
6. Carefully spoon mixture into prepared loaf tin, cover tightly with cling wrap, and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.
7. Slice and serve with extra berries and strawberry coulis.

Strawberry Coulis

8. Puree roasted or fresh strawberries, then strain through a sieve to remove seeds. Adjust the sweetness with sifted icing sugar to taste, and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. This will keep for 3-4 days.

Notes

Semi-freddo is best served within 2-3 days of making. Remove from the freezer, and place in the refrigerator, about 30 minutes before unmoulding, slicing and serving