José Pizarro’s sherry-marinated strawberries with fresh cheese ice cream

Chef José Pizarro shares his recipe for a simple but impressive summer dessert of sherry-marinated strawberries paired with fresh cheese ice cream.

• The inspiration: “This dish comes from a friend of mine at Ganbara tapas bar in San Sebastián – one of those ideas that stays with you,” says José. “Sweet strawberries, marinated with a splash of pedro ximénez vinegar and a crack of black pepper; it lifts everything, bringing out all the natural flavour.”
• How to serve it: “I serve the strawberries with fresh cheese ice cream, though a good cream cheese works just as well. When British strawberries are in season, they’re perfect for this. It’s simple, elegant and always a bit surprising – and I love that.”
• Make-ahead dessert: The beauty of this recipe is that you can, of course, make the ice cream up to 3 months in advance. Macerate the strawberries up to a maximum of 2 hours before serving, to avoid them going a bit mushy.

Make it the season of laid-back entertaining, with more make-ahead summer dessert recipes.