Blackcurrant, vanilla and lime verrine

Prepare a confectioner's custard: pour 250 ml milk into a pan, add the ½ vanilla pod and bring to the boil.

As soon as the milk boils, add the zest of 1 lime. Remove from the heat, cover and leave to infuse 10 minutes.

Prepare the custard by mixing together 50 g caster sugar and 3 egg yolks, then add 20 g cornflour and mix thoroughly.

Pour the hot milk onto this mixture and stir constantly until thoroughly mixed. Then pour it back into the pan through a sieve to remove the vanilla and lime zest.

Cook as for a normal confectioner's custard, then stand the pan to cool in cold water, stirring occasionally to avoid a skin forming.

When the custard is still warm, add the juice of 1 lime and 4 drops food colouring (green), and beat vigourously.

Leave to cool completely, still with the pan in cold water.

Meanwhile, prepare or thaw 300 ml blackcurrant coulis, which should be completely smooth in texture.

Mix 20 g caster sugar with 2 g agar-agar. This is to help the agar-agar blend more easily with the syrup.

Bring 200 ml sugar syrup to a simmer and tip in the mixture of sugar and agar-agar while beating vigourously to mix.

Then pour the hot syrup into the blackcurrant coulis and mix well.

You can use a hand-mixer briefly for this if you wish, to ensure thorough mixing.

Begin assembling the verrines by putting a layer of cold (or barely warm) confectioner's custard in bottom of each glass. Use a forcing bag if possible, as this makes the job much easier.

Pour a layer of blackcurrant coulis on top while this is still warm and sufficiently runny.

Finish with a layer of whipped cream (chantilly), which you can dust with a little matcha green tea powder.