DAILY DINNERS

Heat the oven to 200C/ Fan 180C/ Gas 6. Slice off one-third of the pastry and roll out to the thickness of a £1 coin, then cut out a 15 x 30cm rectangle. Prick all over with a fork, then place on a baking sheet. Brush with half the egg and bake for 10 mins, until starting to turn golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Turn the oven up to 220C/ Fan 200C/ Gas 7. Lightly press down the cooked piece of pastry so it is flat, then spread the custard over. Trim the ends off the strawberries and arrange over the custard with the points facing up. Roll out the second piece of pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin. Trim to make a rectangle about 3 cm bigger all round than the first piece.

Take a sharp knife and, about 3cm down from the top, make a widthways cut across the middle of the pastry, leaving a 3cm border at each side. repeat this 15 - 20 times, working your way down the length of the pastry, leaving another 3 cm border at the other end. Drape the pastry over the strawberries, letting the tops poke through, and press around the edges to seal. Brush with the rest of the egg and sprinkle the sugar all over to give a really thick, sugary coating. Cook for 8 mins, then reduce the heat to 200C/ Fan 180C/ Gas 6 and cook for 15 mins more until the pastry is puffed up, golden and crisp.