RASPBERRY MILLE-FEUILLE WITH ORANGE MANGO CURD

This dish represents a lighter version of the traditional mille-feuille which is usually made with all butter puff-pastry. Although strictly adhering to local ingredients is the best way to ensure paramount freshness and quality, I must admit with some guilt that this version of a mille-feuille bends the rules a bit in that it combines typically tropical citrus and mangoes with temperate raspberries. The dish does, however, manage to stand on the strength of a few culinary principles. First, as with any dish worth making, there is a balance of flavors. Although the orange is comparatively mellow and subtle when stacked up next to the sharp zing of the usual lemon, it works brilliantly well with ripe, fragrant mangoes. The bright red raspberries offer their usual vibrancy and distinctive tartness. The whole thing is held together by the butter fried pastry and icing sugar. The dish also demonstrates a pleasurable balance of texture, with crispy pastry and creamy curd providing enjoyable contrast.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4):

LEMON MANGO CURD

·         1 ripe mango

·         1 orange

·         180g sugar

·        85 g butter

·         3 large eggs

PASTRY

·         3 large sheets phyllo pastry

·         2 egg whites

·         Icing sugar to dust

·         60g clarified butter

·         1 pint raspberries

-         Peel and chop the mango into small chunks and purée in a food processor until smooth. Pass through a sieve to ensure any fibers are removed. Set aside.

-          To make the curd, whisk to combine the juice and zest of 1 orange, 180g sugar, 85g butter, and 3 large eggs over a bain-marie. When the contents are up to temperature the mixture should thicken slightly.

-          Add 3 tbsp of the mango purée to the curd mixture and pass through a sieve into a bowl and place the bowl in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes for the curd to set.

-          As the curd is setting, prepare the phyllo pastry. Place one sheet of the pastry on a surface that has been dusted with icing sugar. Using a pastry brush, brush the top of this layer of pastry with the lightly beaten egg whites. Place the second sheet of pastry on top of the first layer, and egg wash once more before placing a third and final layer of phyllo on top. Dust the final layer of pastry with icing sugar.

-          Using a pastry ring or a glass, cut out 12 circular pastry discs

-          Heat the clarified butter in a non-stick frying pan and quickly fry the discs for about 1 minute on each side

-          Place the pastry discs on paper towels to absorb the excess butter

-          After the curd has set, spoon a little of it in the center of 4 plates to avoid the mille-feuille sliding. Place one pastry disc on top of the curd in each plate.

-          Arrange raspberries on the disc and spoon over 2 tbsp curd. Repeat exactly with a second disc.

-          After placing the third disc on top of the mille-feuille, add a few extra berries on to the plate and sprinkle over icing sugar to serve.