strawberry shortcake

The first of the irish strawberries and what better recipe than strawberry shortcake




Strawberry Shortcake

“Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did” Dr. William Butler

What food in Ireland heralds the coming of summer more than the strawberry? In addition where in the world can you find strawberries which are better than the fruits grown in Ireland? Interestingly the strawberry falls into an odd category of fruit in that the seeds are on the outside, often referred to as an ‘accessory or false fruit’. The wild strawberry was picked and often transplanted into gardens for many hundreds of years without cultivation, why try to improve on what many considered perfection. The wild fruit is small, very sweet and extremely delicate. But market forces eventually led to the crossing of various strawberry species in and around the 17th century to produce the fruit we are familiar with today which is a highbred between a Chilean and Virginian varieties, although now there are a great many sub species. The strawberry is among the most satisfying fruits that you can grow and it is relatively simple to obtain a good sized crop using a large pot, often with holes cut into the sides to allow for more plants.
But what can you do with your fresh strawberries? Well that is simple; get a large amount of full fat cream when whipped pour generously over the strawberries. Another idea is red wine served in the same fashion or even better Champagne. But if you want to impress try rustling up a few sable biscuits.

175 gram butter
125 gram sugar
3 medium egg yolks
200 gram flour
50 gram ground almonds

Cream together the butter & sugar until fluffy then add the egg yolks one at a time ensuring they are mixed well.
Sift the flour and almonds then gently mix into the butter, sugar and egg mixture.
Pipe the mixture onto a well greased and lightly floured baking tray; allow plenty of space between the biscuits; bake at 190°C for about 8 – 10 minutes or until lightly golden in colour.
Allow cool before serving.

To serve simply layer the biscuits with freshly whipped cream and sliced strawberries.

By Michael O’Meara chef owner of Oscars bistro Galway city www.oscarsbistro.ie