Another strawberry solution

High on my list of favourite recipes, especially using fresh fruit, are compotes. Here's a strawberry version :

A strawberry compote

500g ripe strawberries, hulled

4 tbsp caster sugar

2 tbsp lemon juice

Cut the strawberries in half – or quarters if large – place in a large saucepan with the sugar and lemon juice. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved and then simmer. Cover and cook for 3/5 minutes until dark in colour and syrupy. Compote can be store in fridge for up to 2 weeks. I'd suggest you divide in half and freeze one for a rainy day.

If you prefer a smooth compote blitz and pass through a sieve.

As you can see it's not a difficult recipe, hulling the berries, i.e. removing the green leaf on the top and the stalk below, takes a little time but it's worth every second. You can buy a kitchen implement to do the job if you wish but using a paring knife and cutting in a circular motion will do the job just as well.

This is another flexible recipe for your culinary arsenal – you can leave the compote as is with visible berries or you can blitz it, as mentioned at the end of the recipe.

The result of your labours is an ice cream and a compote, ready to serve when you are.

Make the most of fresh seasonal fruits, as an example, melon, pineapple, grapes and raspberry all fit with strawberry – make up a large bowlful – coat the fruit in the compote. You can use small individual glass dishes to serve, topped with a scoop of ice cream. An even better idea would be to use tall sundae glasses and layer fruit and compote, a scoop of strawberry ice cream and then repeat. Decorate with four shards of chocolate bark and serve with two sundae spoons to be shared between friends!

What's not to love.