In a mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, half the powdered sugar, and a generous pinch of salt. Stir to combine.
Place a fine, reusable cloth (cheesecloth or fabric bag) in a colander, and pour the yogurt mixture into it. Tie the cloth closed, and let it drain in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
The Chef’s Tip
To help it drain, place a weight on top of your yogurt. I filled a mixing bowl with water and set it on top. In short, it’s a bit of a DIY process, but it always works!
Once you take it out of the fridge, squeeze the cheesecloth to remove as much liquid as possible. Transfer the strained yogurt to a mixing bowl.
The Chef’s Tip
I used a spatula to scrape the remaining yogurt off the cloth.
Add the crème fraîche and lemon zest, and mix well. You can then store the strained yogurt in the refrigerator in an airtight container for a day or two, until you’re ready to assemble the dish.
How to Make Roasted Strawberries
While the yogurt is draining, quickly rinse the strawberries and cut them in half lengthwise if they are large. Place them in a mixing bowl and add the sumac.
Rinse the mint, and set aside 3 leaves per glass. Add the remaining sprigs, along with their leaves, to the mixing bowl.
Cut the vanilla beans in half and scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon. Add the seeds and the beans to the strawberries.
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Add the lemon juice, the remaining powdered sugar, and the water to the strawberries. Gently stir.
Next, spread the mixture into a baking dish and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven, turn the strawberries over, and return to the oven to bake for another 10 minutes.
Once the strawberries have been cooked and cooled, pour the juice into an airtight container and gently place the strawberries in another. You can then store them in the refrigerator for a day or two and assemble your verrines on the day of your meal.
Assembly and service
It’s almost time to taste it! Take out some pretty dessert glasses and gently spoon the strained yogurt into them using a tbsp and a teaspoon.
The Chef’s Tip
Don’t pack it down, so the juice can fill in the gaps.
Then add two spoonfuls of juice and let it soak in to create marbling throughout the yogurt, then add the strawberries and finish with the mint leaves—you can chop them, but keep at least one whole leaf for garnish!