Difficulty: Advanced (4/5)
The day before: Rinse the rhubarb stalks, split them lengthwise, and cut into chunks. Place in a bowl with powdered sugar and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.
Rinse, dry, hull, and mix the strawberries (500 g for assembly + 350 g for coulis) with icing sugar and lemon juice. Strain and refrigerate.
The same day: Pour the rhubarb macerating juices into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce for 5 minutes, then add the rhubarb chunks and clove. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until very thick (about 15 minutes). Cool and refrigerate.
For the pastry cream: Bring milk to a boil with the split and scraped vanilla pod. Infuse off heat, covered, for 5 minutes, then remove pod. Rewarm milk. Whisk egg yolks with sugar until pale and creamy, add cornflour, then gradually pour in hot milk while whisking. Cook until thickened, cool slightly, and whisk in butter. Whip cold cream to soft peaks and fold into cooled pastry cream. Refrigerate.
Roll puff pastry to 2 mm thick, forming a 30 cm square. Place on baking paper and chill for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 190°C (th. 6-7). Bake pastry on paper for 5 minutes, then top with a rack and bake 20 more minutes. Remove rack, flip, dust with icing sugar, and brown at 250°C (th. 8-9) for 5 minutes. Cool, then cut into 18 rectangles (3 per mille-feuille x 6 servings).
Assemble: Place one pastry rectangle on a dish. Spread with pastry cream, arrange strawberries upright. Add second rectangle, more cream, and rhubarb compote. Top with third rectangle. Repeat for remaining mille-feuilles.
Serve chilled with strawberry coulis (blend macerated strawberries).
Source: Pierre Hermé recipe, Regal Magazine April/May 2013. Recreated with precision for authentic French pastry excellence.
