Lemon - mascarpone - thyme crepes
Ingredients
- 1 - large lemon
- 75g - caster sugar
- 3–4 - thyme sprigs, plus 1 tsp leaves
- 1½ tsp - vanilla bean paste
- 100g - mascarpone
- 50ml - double cream
- 130g - lemon curd
- 6 - crêpes (see page 39)
- 15g - unsalted butter, melted
- ½ tsp - icing sugar
- 1 tbsp - toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
- salt
Procedure
- Using a small sharp knife, trim the top and bottom off the lemon. Cut along its curved sides, removing the skin and white pith to expose the flesh. Place a sieve over a small bowl. Working over the bowl, slice in between each membrane to release the lemon segments into the sieve. Squeeze whatever is left of the lemon into the same bowl to get 1 tablespoon of juice. Cut each segment into 3–4 pieces and set aside.
- Place the caster sugar in a small saucepan on a medium-high heat. Cook, swirling the pan gently, until the sugar has melted and turned to an amber caramel, about 3 minutes. Take off the heat and carefully add the lemon juice (it will splutter!), along with 1 tablespoon of water, a pinch of salt and the thyme sprigs, whisking until smooth and melted. Add ½ teaspoon of the vanilla bean paste and pour over the prepared lemon segments. Set aside.
- Preheat the grill to its highest setting. Combine the remaining teaspoon of vanilla bean paste with the mascarpone, cream and 50g of the lemon curd in a medium bowl and stir together until smooth. Spread out in a 24cm shallow baking dish and set aside.
- Assemble the crêpes by spreading a scant tablespoon of the remaining lemon curd on one of the crêpes. Fold the crêpe in half and then in half again, to form a triangle. Repeat with the rest of the crêpes and arrange them on top of the mascarpone cream. Brush with the melted butter and sift over the icing sugar. Place under the grill for 5–6 minutes, until the crêpes are golden and starting to catch around the edges.
- Drizzle over some of the lemon thyme syrup and scatter over the hazelnuts and thyme leaves. Serve hot, with the rest of the syrup alongsi