Ramsay’s strawberry glory layers balsamic-caramelised strawberries with homemade crème pâtissière, crushed meringue and vanilla ice cream. He makes it on The F Word and calls it “a great way of celebrating the best of British strawberries.” The whole thing finishes with grated chocolate and a wafer.
The combination of balsamic vinegar and strawberries sounds odd until you try it. The tartness pulls out the natural sweetness and stops the dessert tasting like sugar on sugar. Ramsay uses the same pairing in Passion for Flavour, and shows the full glory build in his YouTube video.
The crème pâtissière is the layer that separates this from a basic sundae. It is a thick egg custard thickened with flour, which holds its shape between the strawberry layers. Plain cream on its own would run straight to the bottom of the glass.
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Gordon Ramsay’s Strawberry Glory
Course: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Medium4
servings20
minutes10
minutes520
kcal30 min + chilling
A layered British dessert from The F Word. Balsamic-caramelised strawberries, crème pâtissière folded with whipped cream, crushed meringue and vanilla ice cream. Ramsay’s take on the knickerbocker glory.
Ingredients
- For the caramelised strawberries:
400g (14 oz) strawberries, hulled and halved
1 tbsp icing sugar (powdered sugar)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- For the crème pâtissière:
250ml (1 cup) whole milk
150ml (⅔ cup) double cream (heavy cream)
3 free-range egg yolks
50g (¼ cup) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
1 tbsp plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- For the cream layer:
200ml (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) double cream (heavy cream)
1 tbsp icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- To assemble:
4 individual meringues, crushed
4 scoops of vanilla ice cream
Dark chocolate, for grating
4 wafers
Directions
- Make the crème pâtissière: Bring the milk and cream to the boil. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until pale, then whisk in the flour. Pour a third of the hot milk mixture into the eggs, stir until smooth, then pour everything back into the pan. Bring to the boil, whisking constantly, until thick. Transfer to a bowl, cover the surface with cling film (plastic wrap) and chill until cold.
- Caramelise the strawberries: Dust the halved strawberries with icing sugar (powdered sugar) and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Heat a dry pan until very hot, then toss the strawberries for 15-20 seconds until just caramelised. Tip onto a plate and save all the juices.
- Fold the cream: Whip the double cream (heavy cream) with the icing sugar until it just falls off the whisk. Fold a third of the whipped cream into the cold crème pâtissière to loosen it, then fold in the rest gently.
- Assemble: Layer in tall glasses: caramelised strawberries and their juice, pastry cream, crushed meringue. Repeat the layers once more. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, more strawberry juice, grated chocolate and a wafer. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Ramsay says the balsamic vinegar and strawberry combination is “mind-blowing” and uses the same pairing in his Passion for Flavour cookbook for a strawberry tart. The crème pâtissière can be made up to a day ahead and kept covered in the fridge, which makes this a good dinner party dessert because you only need to assemble at the last minute.
FAQs
What is the difference between a strawberry glory and an Eton mess?
Both use strawberries, cream and crushed meringue, but the assembly is completely different. The glory is layered in a tall glass, while the Eton mess from UHC is piled onto a board and smashed into rough shards.
The other big difference is the balsamic vinegar. The Eton mess uses plain strawberries while the glory caramelises them with vinegar, which gives a darker, more complex sweetness.
Can you make the crème pâtissière ahead?
Yes, and Ramsay clearly expects you to. The custard needs to chill completely before you fold in the whipped cream. Making it the morning of the dinner or the night before works perfectly, then press cling film onto the surface to stop a skin forming.
The same egg-and-cream base appears in the chocolate tarts, where it becomes a ganache instead of a custard. Both start with heating cream and folding it into eggs, so learning one teaches you the other.
Why does Ramsay use balsamic vinegar with strawberries?
The acid reacts with the natural sugars and draws out juice that would otherwise stay locked inside the fruit. You get more liquid, more flavour and a caramel colour from the combination of vinegar, sugar and high heat.
Ramsay uses aged balsamic in Passion for Flavour for a strawberry tart, which means he has tested this pairing across several years. The apple tarte tatin caramelises fruit in sugar the same way, just without the vinegar, because apples have enough acid on their own.
What can you use instead of meringue?
Crushed amaretti biscuits give a similar crunch with an almond flavour that pairs well with strawberries. Shortbread crumbs are another option if you want something butterier, because the meringue is there for texture rather than flavour.
The raspberry soufflé takes the same fruit-and-eggs approach but whips everything into a rise instead of layering it in a glass. Both use fruit cooked down with sugar as the flavour base.
What other desserts combine meringue and custard?
The lemon meringue pie is the closest match because it pairs a baked meringue top with a lemon custard filling underneath. The glory does the same thing but deconstructed: crushed meringue and crème pâtissière layered rather than baked together.
If you already make crème pâtissière confidently, the lemon version swaps the flour thickener for cornflour and adds lemon juice, so the technique transfers directly.
