Difficulty:[usr 4]
The day before:rinse the rhubarb stalks. Split them in half and cut into chunks. Put them in a bowl with the sugar and lemon juice. Film and refrigerate for 12 hours.
Mix the rinsed, dried and hulled strawberries with the sugar and lemon juice. Also filter and refrigerate.
The same day:pour the rhubarb juice into a saucepan. Boil the water. Boil and reduce then add 5 minutes then add the rhubarb and cloves.
Cook over low heat, stirring often, until a very dense compote is obtained (about 15 minutes).
After cooling, place in the refrigerator.
Bring the milk to the boil with the 1/2 split and scraped vanilla pod in a saucepan. Leave the vanilla to infuse for 5 minutes, covered, off the heat, then remove it. Heat the milk again. Whisk the egg yolks into whipped cream with the sugar in a bowl, add the cornstarch then dilute with the boiling milk while whisking. Leave to cool then add the butter while whisking.
Whip the very cold liquid cream into whipped cream. Gently fold it into the cooled pastry cream. Refrigerate until the last moment.
Roll out the puff pastry to a thickness of 2 mm into a square of about 30 cm on each side. Place it on a sheet of baking paper. Refrigerate for 2 hours
Preheat the oven to 190°C (th. 6-7). Slide the dough with its paper on a plate. Bake. After 5 minutes, open the oven and place a baking rack over the dough. Continue cooking for 20 minutes. Remove the grid. Remove the dough from the oven, turn over and sprinkle with icing sugar. Brown for another 5 minutes in the oven at 250°C (th. 8-9). Leave to cool then cut into 3 identical rectangles, and each of them into 6.
Place a rectangle of puff pastry on a dish. Spread a thin layer of cream on top. Store the strawberries pointing up. Place a second puff pastry rectangle. Spread another layer of cream and then the compote.
Top it off with a third rectangle. Assemble the other mille-feuilles.
Serve chilled, accompanied by the coulis.
Source:a recipe by Pierre Hermé. Regal Magazine April/May 2013.
