Tommy Banks' strawberries with herbs and hay

Method

• step 1

  Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Spread the hay on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes until fragrant. Add the milk and cream to a pan and bring to the boil.

• step 2

  Add the hay, remove from the heat, cover and leave for 1 hour. Strain. Add 450ml of the milk/cream to a pan with a pinch of salt and bring to the boil.

• step 3

  Beat the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Pour the boiling millk over the eggs, whisking all the time.

• step 4

  Return the mixture to the pan and cook, stirring all the time, until it coats the back of a spoon. Strain and cool. Churn and freeze in an ice-cream machine.

• step 5

  For the herb sugar, whizz the herbs and sugar to a purée in a food processor.

• step 6

  Spread onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper and leave at room temperature for an hour until dry, then whizz in the blender again.

• step 7

  Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. To make the shortbread, beat the butter and 60g of the herb sugar together in a bowl with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy.

• step 8

  Fold in the flour with a pinch of salt to make a dough. Roll out until 5mm thick and transfer onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper.

• step 9

  Chill for 20 minutes, then bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. Cool on a wire rack.

• step 10

  Toss the strawberries with 40g of the herb sugar and leave to marinate for 10 minutes.

• step 11

  Divide between bowls, crumble over some of the shortbread, add scoops of ice cream and sprinkle with fresh herbs.