Ingredients:

Mousse:
3 bay leaves
1 gelatine leaf
180ml milk
135ml cream
60g caster sugar
15g corn flour
2 egg yolks
150ml whipped cream 

Shortbread Crumb: 

300g plain flour
1 1⁄4 tsp salt
200g unsalted butter, chopped
100g caster sugar

1 egg yolk

METHOD 

Combine bay leaves, milk & cream in a pot and bring to the boil. Turn off heat and allow
to sit for 30/40mins. Mix the sugar and egg yolks until pale and fluffy. Sift cornflour into the sugar & egg mixture and stir well. 

Bloom gelatine (cover with cold water and allow to soften but not disintegrate) and add to the milk mixture. Bring the milk mixture back to the boil and strain before adding to the sugar & egg mixture. 

Cook the entire mixture for a further 5 minutes until it has a thick consistency. You will need to stir it continuously. Allow to cool before folding though the whipped cream. 

Put the flour and salt in a mound on your work surface and make a well in the middle. Place the butter in the well and mix the butter into the flour by rubbing your hands together until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. 

Shape the mixture into a mound again and make a well in the middle. Add the sugar, then the egg yolk and use your fingertips and the heel of your hand to incorporate them into the flour without kneading the dough. Note that kneading will develop the gluten and toughen the pastry. Shape into a disc, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 

Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees. Roll out the entire piece of pastry onto a sheet of baking paper. Bake until golden and crumbly, approximately 30 minutes. 

To present, place the bay leaf mousse at the bottom of a shallow bowl, top with thinly sliced strawberries and coat with shortbread crumb. Add micro thyme and almond slivers to finish.