This gooseberry crumble from Phil Vickery uses six ingredients and only has three steps in the method.
Underneath this crumble topping is a mixture of plump, tart gooseberries which have been cooked in a little sugar. Gooseberries are high in vitamin C, vitamin A, Potassium, and Magnesium. They have a sour taste when raw but taste delicious baked in this recipe. Chef Phil Vickery recommends serving with clotted cream but you can use custard or ice cream if you prefer.
Ingredients
- 875g English gooseberries, topped and tailed
- 100–175g unrefined granulated sugar
For the crumble:
- 100g cold unsalted butter, cubed
- A pinch of salt
- 200g plain white flour
- 100g caster sugar
- Clotted cream, to serve
WEIGHT CONVERTER
Method
- Heat the oven to 190C (170C, Gas 5). Put the gooseberries in a stainless-steel saucepan, add the granulated sugar and heat until the fruit starts to burst. This should only take a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat and then tip into a 23 cm (9-inch) ovenproof baking dish; the gooseberries should almost be in a single layer on the bottom of the dish.
- Put the cold butter, salt and flour together in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, then add the sugar and pulse again just to bring together – do not overwork (this ensures that the mixture does not ‘cake up’, leaving the crumble nice and loose).
- Spread the crumble evenly over the cooked gooseberries and bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly (the secret with crumble is to eat it warm, not hot) and serve with clotted cream, if you like.
Top tips for making a gooseberry crumble
If you’d like to add more flavour to your crumble, consider adding a handful of crushed nuts to the topping. We love almonds, pistachios or hazelnuts but you can choose your favourite.
What is the best ratio of crumble to filling?
Phil likes to use a ratio of 50/50 when he makes a crumble. This means there is equal topping to filling. Some traditional recipes suggest two thirds topping to one third filling. You can adjust it depending on your preference.
How do you make a crumble topping light?
It’s important that you don’t pack the crumble topping over the filling too tightly. Generously but carefully sprinkle the topping over the gooseberries and when it bakes, you’ll have a lovely crunchy but light finish.
Can you make crumble topping in a food processor?
Yes, in fact Phil prefers using a machine as it is quicker. It’s very important the butter is cold and Phil says he has even frozen butter before blitzing before.
For this recipe Phil recommends a 23cm oven-proof dish. We recommend choosing one that will look nice if you bring it to the table.
Muldale Ceramic Pie Dish 23cm - View at Amazon
Once you’ve used this dish to make your crumble you can use it to make sweet or savoury pies. It is dishwasher safe and comes in three different colours.
For an all-year round crowd pleaser you can’t beat our apple crumble recipe. If you'd like another celeb recipe, try the Hairy Bikers apple and blackberry crumble. You might also like our crumble cake.
Phil Vickery has been part of the This Morning team for over 20 years and his recipes are unsurprisingly a huge hit with families as they are fuss-free, wholesome and delicious. He’s one of the country’s most-loved chefs and is passionate about using locally sourced ingredients to cook classic British dishes. In fact, in Phil’s spare time he likes to spend ours on his farm tending to the land and livestock, which includes pigs.
- Jessica RansomSenior Food Writer
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