Ingredients
400g strawberries
transparent glaze

For 600ml pastry cream
600ml milk; 100g sugar; vanilla;
grated rind of lemon; 40g cornflour;
two egg yolks

For 800g sweet pastry
300g margarine; 480g plain flour; one egg; 120g sugar; grated rind of a lemon

Method

For the pastry cream

Boil the milk, sugar, vanilla and grated rind of a lemon.

In a bowl, dilute the cornflour with the egg yolks and a little water. Add the cornflour to the milk and mix well. Let it cool for a fewminutes and then add to the blind baked pastry.

For the sweet pastry

Rub the margarine into the plain sieved flour to form a sandy texture.

Mix the egg and sugar and the grated rind of a lemon. Add to the flour and bind into a dough. Let it rest for an hour.

How to blind bake

Prepare a flan tin with a movable bottom. Line with pastry. Prick the pastry with a fork. Cut a round piece of baking paper and put on top of the pastry. Put some raw beans to prevent the paper from falling.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove the paper and beans and continue cooking for another five minutes. Let the pastry cool, remove from tin and put on a flat plate. Fill the pastry with the pastry cream and let it cool.

Wash and clean the strawberries. Cut in half and arrange neatly (see picture).

Buy some neutral glaze and use according to packet directions.

Cover the strawberries with the glaze and chill before serving individually.

Anton Dougall is an Expert on Maltese food.