We didn't stop with the lamb. Seasonal and local strawberries were used to make an oustanding dessert. Strawberry semifreddo with almond crunch topping, strawberries (again) salsa and chocolate sauce. A semifreddo is a great way to make a sort of easy ice cream. We used a Swiss meringue instead of an Italian one. Which means you don't have to monitor the temperature of the sugar. Time consuming and messy.... We did make a custard with the yolks and stirred in the crushed strawberries to cool it off. The Swiss meringue was folded into the strawberries and then frozen. It took a poll to decide whether we'd put the almond crunch on top or below the semifreddo. But after freezing the semifreddo in a bottomless spring form pan we decided to put the crunch on top. I thought it would be more elegant and look less like a tart and make for a more unusual looking dessert. Chopping up more of those strawberries and tossing them with a chiffonade of mint and triple sec made for an excellent "salsa". The chocolate sauce was easy. Melt chopped chocolate, butter and corn syrup for a shiny chocolaty masterpiece.
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STRAWBERRY SEMI-FREDDO
1 cup heavy cream
2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. orange liqueur
1 cup fresh mashed or puréed strawberries,
Pinch salt
Almond Rice Crunch:
Vegetable oil
1 cup crisped rice cereal
1/2 cup almonds, chopped
3 tbsp. corn syrup
Whip the cream to soft peaks. Reserve. In a double boiler using a cleaned bowl whisk the yolks, 1/4 cup of the sugar, the juice and triple sec. Cook for about 8 minutes, whisking constantly or until the mixture is foamy and steaming to make a sabayon. Whisk for a couple minutes off heat to cool the mixture. Stir in the strawberries and chill. Meanwhile heat the whites and the remaining sugar in the double boiler until the mixture is hot, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and with hand mixer beat the whites until they are cool and form stiff peaks. Lighten the strawberry mixture by stirring in a fourth of the meringue then fold in remaining meringue gently but thoroughly. Fold the meringue mixture gently but thoroughly into whipped cream. Spread the mixture in the ring mold lined with parchment paper or a loaf pan lined with plastic. Freeze for at least an hour. Unmold if using a loaf pan. If frozen overnight, allow to set at room temp for a while before serving.
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously oil a rimmed baking sheet or use a silpat-lined baking sheet. In a bowl, toss the cereal with the almonds and the corn syrup until coated. Spread thinly on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 min.
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