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Serves 4–6

150ml (5fl oz) milk

300ml (11fl oz) double cream

1 vanilla pod, cut in half

4 large eggs

40g (1½oz) caster sugar

400g (14oz) fresh strawberries, hulled

For the caramel

110g (4oz) caster sugar

2 tbsp hot water

Every nation has its own version of crème caramel, using different types of milk and cream. It keeps well in the fridge, so can be made well ahead of time. Although strawberries are recognised as a summer fruit, they do start coming into season at the very end of spring. If you’re making this dessert any earlier in the year, however, you could substitute with poached forced rhubarb.

First make the caramel. Put the sugar in a medium-sized saucepan set over a medium heat. When the sugar begins to melt and darken, stir from time to time and continue to cook until it becomes a uniform syrup and a deep caramel colour.

Take the pan off the heat and carefully add the 2 tablespoons of hot water – it will spit quite a bit at first but will soon settle. Stir for 3–4 minutes and once the water is combined, quickly pour into the bottom of 4–6 × 250ml (9fl oz) ramekins, tipping it around to coat the sides of each dish.

Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F), Gas 2. Pour the milk and cream into another saucepan, along with the vanilla pod and scraped-out seeds. Set the pan over a low heat and allow the milk and cream to heat up gently while you whisk together the eggs and sugar in a large bowl.

When the milk and cream are steaming hot, but not boiling, pour onto the egg and sugar mixture, whisking well. Pass though a sieve, then pour the liquid into the ramekins and place them in a large roasting tin. Transfer the tin carefully to the oven, then pour enough hot water into the base of the tin to surround the ramekins up to two-thirds in depth. Bake for 1 hour.