Ingredients

• vegetable oil
• for deep-frying
• 50g/2oz plain flour
• 50g/2oz cornflour
• pinch salt
• 75-110ml/3-4fl oz ginger ale
• 4 figs
• halved lengthways
• 75-110ml/3-4fl oz sparkling water
• 12 strawberries
• 125ml/4½fl oz milk
• 3 sprigs fresh lemon verbena
• 5 free-range egg yolks
• 75g/3oz caster sugar
• 375ml/13fl oz double cream
• 25g/1oz demerara sugar
• 250g/9oz strawberries
• hulled and chopped
• 1-2 tbsp icing sugar

Directions

• For the tempura
• place the vegetable oil into a deep
• heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat until a small cube of bread sizzles and turns golden when dropped into it. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
• Place half of the flour
• cornflour and salt into a bowl and gradually stir in enough ginger ale to make a batter. Don't over-mix - it doesn't matter if a few lumps remain.
• Dip the figs into the batter to coat completely. Place into the hot oil and deep fry until golden-brown and crisp. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
• Place the remaining flour
• cornflour and salt into another bowl and gradually stir in enough sparkling water to form a batter.
• Dip the strawberries into the batter to coat completely. Place into the hot oil and deep fry until golden-brown and crisp. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
• Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2.
• For the crème brûlée
• place the milk into a saucepan
• add the lemon verbena and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and allow to cool and infuse for a few minutes.
• Place the egg yolks into a large bowl with the sugar and whisk until combined.
• Pour the milk mixture into the bowl along with the cream and whisk thoroughly.
• Place four ramekins into a roasting tin and pass the cream mixture through a sieve into the ramekins. Pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
• Transfer to the oven and bake for an hour
• or until just set. Remove the ramekins from the tin and allow to cool.
• Once cooled
• place the ramekins into the freezer until the custards are solid.
• Use a knife to loosen around the edges of the ramekins and carefully tip the custards out of their ramekins onto a board. Using a pastry cutter
• cut out a circle from each custard to make cylinders slightly smaller in diameter than the ramekins. Place onto serving plates and leave to soften for five minutes.
• For the strawberry sauce
• place the strawberries and icing sugar into a small food processor and blend until smooth. Pass the mixture through a sieve into a bowl to remove the seeds. Taste to check the sweetness and add more sugar if necessary.
• To serve
• sprinkle the demerara sugar over the top of the crème brûlées and caramelise with a mini-blowtorch. Place two fig halves and three strawberries onto each plate and drizzle over the strawberry sauce.