I’m just back from the market in St Germain-en-Laye. It’s a luxury to pop up there on a Friday morning, as today was treated as a pont. Yesterday was an official French holiday for Ascension, so Lucie’s school had the day off today to make le pont – or bridge – over the weekend. It was a lovely idea, but not all of us managed to dance on that bridge, as my eldest still had school and with hubby at work, I grabbed the opportunity to have extra helping hands and stock up on the latest culinary stars on the catwalk.
As the Cannes Film festival is underway in the South, strawberries are currently given the red carpet treatment at the market here up North. Entering the producers’ labyrinth, the gariguettes were paraded, as the mara des bois had already been cleaned out. This stand had it sussed: with their lids firmly in place, it sent a message to all French shoppers not to touch and sniff these gariguettes. Instead we stood in the queue and gaped at the prize-winning beauties behind them. What variety were they? They didn’t have any. They were just strawberries, I was told. Quoi? Because they’re Portuguese.
Tasting one, it reminded me of picking strawberries as a child in Scotland (although the ones in Scotland were better!) It took 3 bites to finish it. Hm. ‘They’re not that sweet,’ I told the vendeur. Immediately, he knocked a couple of euros off the price, just as I was thinking how perfect they would be for a gratin.
With punnets of fraises Charlotte, gariguettes, ciflorettes (another conical sweet variety), and a tray of these oh-so-plainly-enormous strawberries, we could just about cope with balancing some rhubarb under the arm. As I have many more ideas for macarons in store for you, I need to use up some egg yolks. Don’t you love excuses like this? I love this simple dessert since it’s a quick, creamy fruity number that can be whisked together in half an hour.
Strawberry and Rhubarb Gratin Recipe
Serves 6
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 18 minutes
400g strawberries,
300g rhubarb (or 3 large sticks)
75g sugar
3 egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
5 tbsp crème fraîche, or thick cream
1. Peel the rhubarb using a sharp knife, taking off all the stringy fibres. Wash well then cut into chunks.
2. In a pan, cook the rhubarb chunks and 40g sugar with 150ml water. Cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
3. Leave to cool.
4. Wash and hull the strawberries. Cut the bottoms off so they can stand neatly in a dish. If the strawberries are particularly big, cut them in half. Place the strawberries around the outside of 6 gratin dishes, and pile the rhubarb in the centre.
Time to be gratinéd, French style
5. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks with the rest of the sugar until the mixture is pale and creamy. Whisk in the crème fraîche (or thick cream) and vanilla essence.
6. Pour over the fruit then place under a hot grill for 2-3 minutes.
Enjoy with some poppy macarons on the side and you have a gluten-free, stress-free dessert. Voilà. Simplicity where oh-so-sweet strawberry meets acidic-but-comforting rhubarb. All it needs is some bubbly and we’re really talking red carpet treatment, n’est-ce pas?
"Mad about Macarons! Make Macarons like the French"
This strawberry rhubarb gratin looks incredible! When I was in St. Lucia and they had chocolate macarons on display as part of a chocolate buffet I smiled and immediately thought of you Jill. Have a lovely weekend!
What a perfect seasonal gratin! It sounds amazing. Thank you for sharing!
This looks beautiful! I love strawberry and rhubarb combo. Yum!
Oh my this is perfect for my rhubarb – we’ve been making rhubarb recipe for two weeks and I see no point to stop now.
Totally with you, Claudia. We’re the same – and with asparagus too.
Oh yum. I miss the Parisian markets. I always loved wandering around. And the paella. I need to get me some rhubarb before it goes away. At least one pie a year is a necessary.
Paella? That sounded a good market. Here we have couscous or choucroute depending on the season. Good idea on the pie.
Very unique, extremely creative dish you have here! I never imagined a sweet gratin! It sounds heavenly, Jill! xx
Merci. It’s so simple yet yummy!
Jill, this sounds so amazing! I love anything strawberry rhubarb right now and would love to try this! Beautiful as well, as your creations are
!
Thanks, Amy. I loved the look of your roasted rhubarb ice cream!
I love the photo of containes full of strawberries! Mouth-watering! The gratin looks fabulous!
Thanks, Anna. I need to take more – have plenty of material for you!
Now why have I never baked with strawberries? And adding rhubarb makes this gratin even better! What a lovely combination. And I’m certain the Scottish strawberries are the best…I remember the raspberries….mmmmmmmm. xo
Yep – the Scottish strawbs and rasps are still the best in my opinion…even better when sneaked behind the farmer’s back
I looked at the photos and instantly started salivating. What a great idea!
What a great gratin, Jill! Love your use of strawberries and rhubarb, too – so summery! Thanks for sharing. Also, I’m having a ChicWrap giveaway today that you should enter!
This looks wonderful, Jill! I loveeeee both is those very Springtime fruits and you definitely hooked me the creme fraiche
Janet, this sure is spring food and hoping it’s going to bring out the sunshine over a wet Paris!
So, will you shake your head in a shame at me if I told you I thought Gratins were always savory? You’ve just blown my mind! Lovely dish, darling! And I’m impressed with your bargaining skills! I’d have been too shy to say anything!
Too funny – and bargaining skills? Don’t be impressed with just 2 euros – although I do love it when you get tastings. Few and far between these days!
That looks delicious! We don’t get rhubarbs but I like the sound of a strawberry gratin… love how you managed to get the grocer to knock off a few euros!
Oh you lucky people who can’t get rhubarb – I suppose that means you have too much sunshine? Why don’t you replace it with mango? No need to even cook it to a compôte – why not just chop up a ripe and juicy mango finely and serve with the strawbs and gratin, Marsha?
What a pity we don’t have rhubarb in Greece to try your lovely recipe.
You don’t have rhubarb? Gosh, have you too much sun or something? It will be just great with strawbs alone – assured, Ivy.
I love your red carpet of strawberries, Jill. My idea of heaven! This is a beautiful dessert, combining two of my favourite summer flavours.
p.s. I must try your bargaining technique next time I visit a French market
Bargaining technique? Antoine was brought up in the Ivory Coast and when I went to the market, had NO idea about bargaining. I still don’t get it. See? Taken me 20 yrs and only get 2 euros knocked off. Backward Scottie, eh?
This is sooooo gorgeous!
You are brill to come up with this. Who needs dinner when you have this gratin.
I saw strawbs in April but thought it must be too early for them to be good.
Evidently not
Exquise comme toujours J
xxCarolg
I still need dinner. We had canard before it. Loving all the strawbs just now. I need to get back to the market and get the mara des bois.
Hi Jill! Strawberries and rhubarb! Sounds like a great combination! I love your stress-free dessert (you know why I said that!
). If you make macarons using egg whites these will be a nice counterpart for egg yolks! Have a great weekend!!!
Strawbs and rhubarb a classic but this is a little different and great to serve with more macarons, Nami…
It looks like your strawberries there are better sized than here in the US. Ours are getting too big and not very tasty. I like the little ones. Also, your dessert looks amazing. The method of setting under a grill is unusual but it does give the dish a nice toasty look. So tempting, I wish I had just a scoop of it to try. Delicious post. Have a great weekend Jill.
Thanks, Tina. I should have mentioned that you could also finish it off by blasting it quickly with a blowtorch for some extra fun. It’s toasty, sweet delicious.
M&S have Scottish strawberries so I’m off now to buy them as well as rhubarb. What a really healthy dessert – thanks so much Jill for the idea. Not nearly exciting as the market at St Germain en Laye but it has rained here all day so an excuse to go out and make this.
Picking strawbs at Marks & Sparks? You should be out in that field, fighting off Andie and Jock!