Strawberry Bavarian Cream

To prepare the strawberry Bavarian cream, start with the crème anglaise, which is the base of the dessert: split half a vanilla bean and scrape with the tip of a knife to extract the seeds 1. Peel the lemon zest, being careful not to remove the white part 2, and add the two aromas to the saucepan with the milk 3: heat over low heat until it almost boils, then turn off the heat.

Meanwhile, place the egg yolks in a large bowl, whisk them, then add 65 g (1/3 cup) of granulated sugar gradually while continuing to mix 4 and add a pinch of salt 5. Work them for a few minutes until you get a homogeneous mixture. Pour the warmed milk over the beaten eggs, filtering it with a fine-mesh strainer 6.

Mix with a spatula 7 and place the cream to cook in a bain-marie over low heat, always stirring 8; the temperature of the cream should never exceed 185°F (85°C) (check with a kitchen thermometer) 9.

When the cream is ready, pour it into a bowl and place the bowl in a larger one filled with ice 10: this way, you will immediately cool the cream without affecting its consistency. Stir 11 then remove it from the ice and cover the cream with cling film, making contact to allow it to cool completely. Soak the gelatin sheets in very cold water 12 for at least 10 minutes.

Wash, drain well, and remove the stem from the strawberries, then cut them into pieces 13 and cook them in a pan with 40 g (about 3 tbsps) of granulated sugar over low heat, covered with a lid (14-15).

Blend the cooked strawberries with the sugar 16 and strain the obtained puree 17. Then transfer it to a saucepan and put it back on low heat 18.

Drain and squeeze the gelatin sheets and dissolve them in the strawberry coulis 19, stir with a whisk to dissolve them completely 20. Let the mixture cool slightly, and add it to the crème anglaise 21 and mix.

Then separately whip 500 ml (about 2 cups) of fresh cream (not too firm) 22 and add it to the strawberry cream 23 and mix well: it should be fluid, creamy, and homogeneous. Then take a bundt pan and wet the inside with cold water. Gently pour the obtained mixture into a 9-inch (22 cm) diameter mold with a 1.5 qt (1.5 lt) capacity 24.

Cover it with cling film 25 and place it in the refrigerator for at least 4-6 hours (it would be better to prepare it the night before). Then prepare the whipped cream with powdered sugar 26 and place it in a piping bag 27 and in the refrigerator until ready to use.

After the necessary time, remove the Bavarian cream from the refrigerator, immerse the mold up to the edge in hot water for a few seconds 28, and then gently invert the Bavarian cream onto a serving platter 29. Decorate the Bavarian cream as desired with dollops of whipped cream all around 30.

Create dollops on the surface as well 31. Then decorate with fresh strawberries and mint leaves as desired (32-33).