It’s absolutely roasting hot in the UK. A bit like walking about in an oven. Us Brits are quite unused to such heat, so we get in a bit of a frenzy and start getting really drunk very quickly, going lobster red in the sun. All around there are men sporting ‘farmer tans’ – i.e arms, necks and faces flushed red until the level of T shirt sleeves are reached where the skin remains ice white underneath. All I want to do is lie down on some grass and eat ice cream. And why not a nice strawberry one? This is the best time of year to find the most perfumed, aromatic British strawberries. I can annihilate a whole punnet in around a minute. Some types are so perfumed they taste almost of roses. Never put them in the fridge – their flavour is best at room temperature. Yum.

I found an amazing recipe from ‘Melt’ by Claire Kelsey (the ice cream goddess who started Ginger’s Comfort Emporium). There are two great things about this recipe. Firstly, you don’t have to fanny around making an egg custard for the ice cream base. Thank God, I hate that part. I haven’t got enough time in my life to hand-make custard, or not to burn it. And secondly, you don’t need an ice cream maker. (Although, because I do own one, I can report that this recipe is freaking amazing once you have churned it in a machine. But it’s not a deal-breaker.) Also, because there’s no egg custard in the mix, you get the most pure, creamy hit of strawberry-ness that isn’t weighed down by the claggy taste of eggs. I’m not against eggs in ice cream whatsoever, but with bright berry tastes it can sometimes interfere. Greek yoghurt, mixed with double cream, adds a delicious tartness.

Get some nice waffley cones, then stick some massive Flakes and strawberries on top. Faceplant!

Makes 1 litre

You will need:

350g amazing UK strawberries
170g caster sugar
Juice of one small lemon
300 ml double cream
70g icing sugar
170g full fat Greek yoghurt (I use the Total brand)

Hull and chop the strawberries. Mix with the sugar and half the lemon juice in a pan, put a lid on and set on a very low heat for 4-5 minutes. Keep an eye on the mixture in case it bubbles up, which you should avoid. When you lift the lid, the fruit will have shrunk into its juices. Pour this strawberry compote into a bowl and set aside to cool.

When the mix is cold, pulse it with a hand blender and chill until ready to use.

To make the ice cream, combine the cream, icing sugar, remaining lemon juice and half the chilled strawberry compote in a large bowl. Whisk until the mixture produces soft peaks, about 5-8 minutes, or sooner with an electric whisk.

Then, 1: If you have no ice cream maker, do this: Fold the rest of the strawberry mixture into the yoghurt, then fold this into the strawberry cream. Scoop it all into a lovely pink pillow and put in a tub to freeze overnight. Before serving, soften in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Or, 2: If you DO have an ice cream maker, fold the Greek yoghurt into the whipped strawberry cream, then whisk for a few seconds just so it’s all mixed in. Then pour the mix into your ice cream maker and churn. When the mixture is expanded in volume and like a very thick frozen milkshake, it’s ready to freeze. Just before you stop the machine, pour in the rest of the strawberry compote and allow to mix through briefly so you get a nice ripple. Spoon out into a tupperware and freeze until you need it. Remove 10 minutes before serving, so it’s nice and soft to scoop out.

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