INGREDIENTS
(Serves four)

Strawberry Sauce
500g / 1 pound strawberries
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons mizuame
2 sprigs of thyme

1 banana
8 strawberries
20 blueberries
1 mango
8 grapes
8 cherries
½ papaya
¼ melon
Unsalted butter for greasing

METHOD

To make the strawberry sauce remove any leaves and stems and purée the fruit in a food processor or using a stick blender. Transfer the purée to a saucepan and add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil then simmer until the sauce is reduced by half, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to ensure the mixture doesn't burn. Strain through a fine sieve.

Cut the banana, papaya and mango into chunks. Peel the grapes and remove any seeds.

Preheat the oven to 180°C or 355°F. Grease a ceramic toban hotplate with butter and arrange all the fruit on top. Bake for 10 minutes being careful not to overcook the fruit, or it will lose its 'bite'.

Remove the toban from the oven and immediately place onto the stove over a high heat, allowing the fruit to sizzle. Pour the strawberry sauce over the fruit and allow to come to a bubble before serving. 

TIPS FROM OUR CHEFS

Mizuame is a common sweetener in Japan that can be swapped out for honey or agave syrup. If you don't have a hotplate you could use a cast iron skillet or any sturdy shallow pan that's also oven safe. You can adapt the recipe to use any fruit you have to hand, being mindful not to use anything that will soften too much while cooking.