It is June, and in the UK that means the weather is just about warm enough to start considering holding a family barbecue, or having friends round for zingy Pina coladas in the sun.
As summer is officially upon us, so is strawberry season and this recipe celebrates the abundance of this delicious fruit available to us. Although the fruit is on offer all year round, the flavour at this time of year is of no comparison. The juicy, soft texture explodes in your mouth with sugary sweet, floral notes that just sing of summer. Of course, strawberries are extremely appetising served plain, or simply with a dash of cream. However if you want to go that extra mile for an occasion this recipe should do the trick and is a bit different to the usual strawberry tarts or fruit studded trifles that adorn picnic rugs all the summer months long.
It is surely agreed that one of the most praised flavour combinations is strawberry and chocolate. This recipe incorporates subtle hints of dark bitter chocolate throughout the crumble topping which act more as an enhancer to the strawberries than as a full on flavour. A final addition to the pie is crushed pistachios, which add crunch and an underlying salty quality which works incredibly well. The pie is best served at room temperature or slightly warmed, never hot, and drizzled with any cream of choice.
Looks delish!