1. Wash and dry the strawberries for the compote, then cut them into small pieces. Set aside about half of them. Place the remaining strawberries in a small saucepan along with the sugar, lemon juice, vanilla paste, and about half of the water. Mix the remaining water with the cornstarch.

2. Let the strawberries simmer over medium heat for a few minutes until they are very soft. If you’re in a hurry, you can purée the strawberries with an immersion blender* if they aren’t softening quickly enough. Once the berries are soft or puréed, add the cornstarch-water mixture to the saucepan and stir it in. Let everything cook/bubble until the compote has thickened nicely.

3. Remove the compote from the heat and let it cool down for a few minutes, then add the remaining chopped strawberries and stir them in. Let the compote cool completely before serving.

4. For the vanilla sauce, mix the egg yolks with about three tablespoons of the milk and the cornstarch until well combined and set aside.

5. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Add the vanilla bean pod and seeds to a small saucepan together with the remaining milk and the sugar. Heat up until the milk barely simmers, while stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and let the vanilla bean pod steep for about 15 minutes. Return the milk to the stove and heat it up until it starts to bubble. Add the egg yolk mixture and bring everything to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and let cool down completely, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming. Remove the vanilla bean before serving.

6. Serve the cooled strawberry compote with the vanilla sauce in dessert bowls and garnish with a few chopped/sliced nuts to your liking (optional).