Madame Suzy Ghirlando, my Great Aunt, is 95. She lives in a 1960s Paris apartment that she bought new, in which the furniture and wallpaper has probably never changed. I love sitting with her in the narrow galley kitchen drinking red wine, eating cheese, and talking.Contrary to the idea that all French people eat amazingly all of the time, Auntie Suzy’s ‘signature dish’ is spaghetti with butter and cheese. However, she did introduce me to this really easy yet delicious dessert. I’ve added thyme and black pepper to this recipe, but apart from that, it remains unchanged. Serves: 4 peoplePrep time: 10 mins, plus marinatingIngredients1 punnet strawberries150ml fresh orange juice150ml red wineA few thyme sprigsA pinch of mustard cress4 tbsp caster sugarA twist of black pepperMethod
- Hull and slice the strawberries in half and put in a bowl.
- Sprinkle them with sugar and leave to marinate for 20-25 minutes.
- Add the orange juice and red wine, stir gently and taste. Add a little sugar if necessary.
- Leave for a further five minutes and serve with the pepper, cress and thyme.