Chocolate Strawberries Dipped in Pistachios

Strawberries, melted chocolate and toasted pistachio nuts form a flavour combination made in heaven. The most important tip is to buy really good quality dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao bean solids, in order to get the full rich flavour and aroma of the cacao bean.

• Hull the strawberries. Place them in a bowl and sift the icing sugar over them. Mix well, and set the bowl aside, cling filmed.
• Break the chocolate into small squares in a heatproof bowl, and place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water on a low heat. Make sure that the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water or the chocolate will burn.
• When the chocolate completely melted, take the saucepan and bowl off the heat, and set aside to cool.
• Using a dry, non-stick frying pan, toast the pistachio nuts very carefully. Keep turning them, so that they do not catch and burn. When they are golden brown and smelling nutty, remove from the heat. When the nuts have cooled, chop them into small pieces. Set aside.
• Whip the cream with the caster sugar until it forms soft peaks. Spoon the cream into a serving bowl. Prick the bottom end of a strawberry with a cocktail stick, dip the strawberry into the melted chocolate, and then roll it into the chopped, toasted pistachio nuts. Lay each finished strawberry on a serving platter, with the cocktail stick, so that the chocolate can reset.
• Serve the strawberries with the whipped cream, for dipping.