Name: Mon Ami Gabis Mixed Berries Recipe
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1.5 cups strawberries, hulled and halved; 1 cups blueberries; 1 cups raspberries; 0.5 cups blackberries; 2 tsp granulated sugar; 2 tbs Grand Marnier (orange liqueur); 8 leaves fresh mint leaves (optional, for garnish); 1 cups whole milk; 0.5 cups heavy cream; 4 to taste egg yolks; 0.25 cups granulated sugar; 1 tsp vanilla bean (split and scraped) or vanilla extract; 1 pinch salt; 1 tsp powdered sugar (optional, for dusting)

Method

Prepare Berries

Wash and hull

Gently rinse all berries under cold water and drain in a colander. Hull and halve the strawberries; leave smaller berries whole.

Macerate

Place the prepared berries in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons granulated sugar over them and toss gently to combine. Let sit 10–15 minutes to macerate and release juices.

Add Grand Marnier

After macerating, drizzle 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier over the berries and toss very gently to coat. Taste and if desired add up to 1 more teaspoon sugar. Refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 1 hour.

Make Crème Anglaise

Warm dairy

In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup whole milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream. Add the scraped vanilla bean seeds and pod (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract). Warm over medium heat until the mixture is steaming and small bubbles form around the edge, but do not boil. Remove from heat.

Whisk yolks and sugar

In a heatproof bowl, whisk together 4 egg yolks and 1/4 cup granulated sugar until pale and slightly thickened.

Temper eggs

Slowly pour about one-third of the hot milk mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly to temper. Then pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk, stirring continuously.

Cook custard

Return the saucepan to low heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula and scraping the bottom, until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon (170–175°F / 77–80°C). Do not boil or let it curdle. This takes about 4–6 minutes.

Strain and cool

Immediately remove from heat, strain the crème anglaise through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove the vanilla pod and any cooked bits. Stir in a pinch of salt. If using vanilla extract instead of a bean, add it now. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming and chill until cool, at least 30 minutes.

Assemble and Serve

Spoon a few tablespoons of chilled crème anglaise into serving bowls or glasses (about 1–2 tablespoons per serving).

Top the crème anglaise with an even portion of the macerated berries, allowing some of the liqueur-infused juices to drizzle over the custard. For 4 servings, divide berries evenly.

Garnish each portion with a couple of fresh mint leaves and a light dusting of powdered sugar if using. Serve immediately.