A deliciously silky dessert, panna cotta is easy to make and elegant to serve. It takes about four to five hours to set in the refrigerator, so make sure you make it well before it's time to serve.
Panna cotta is essentially cream jello, so use the best cream you can find. Just like regular jello, it can also be flavored with a million different things. A few ideas might be vanilla bean infused panna cotta with a side of poached pear slices. Or maybe infuse the cream with fennel fronds and serve with some lightly sugared slices of orange. The possibilities are endless, but try to keep the infused flavor of the panna cotta a subtle one so that you can still enjoy the taste of the fresh cream.
The yield for this recipe is five servings. While this may seem an odd number, there is a very good reason for doing so. I make this amount when I am serving four people because on occasion, when unmolding the panna cottas, one can break apart leaving half of the panna cotta on your plate and the other half in your ramekin. This would normally be a disaster if you decided to only make four, but luckily you had the insight to make five, so no problem. The broken one just gives you a little treat to snack on while cleaning up the dishes.
Serves 5 people
2 1/2
tsp powdered gelatin (one packet) or 4 leaves of sheet gelatin3
tbsp warm water2
cups heavy cream1/2
cup milk4
tbsp sugar- An aromatic flavor such as the peel from one lemon or one split vanilla pod
A little fresh fruit with a soft texture, such as berries or cherries.
If you are using powdered gelatin, add it and the water together in a tiny bowl. Give it a quick stir and set it aside for a bit while the gelatin softens. Doing this first helps to prevent disagreeable lumps of undissolved gelatin in your final product. If you are using sheet gelatin, you can skip this step.
In a small saucepan, add the cream, milk, sugar and any aromatic flavors you want to infuse into your panna cotta. Place over low heat and start heating, stirring occasionally. Watch closely. As it gets hot, you will need to stir more often to prevent sticking. Once it is just about to boil, remove from heat.
Add the gelatin to the cream and stir gently until it is all dissolved and no lumps remain. Allow the cream to sit for another five to ten minutes to infuse with a bit more flavor from your aromatics.
Strain the aromatic solids from your cream and divide the mixture between five ramekins, tea cups or similar. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours until the panna cottas are set.
Fill a shallow bowl with hot water. Working one at a time, sit the base and sides of each ramekin in the water for a few seconds to melt and loosen just around the edge of each panna cotta. Remove from water. Place a plate over each ramekin, invert and allow the panna cotta to fall neatly onto the plate. Garnish with a little fruit and enjoy immediately.
EditVariations
Instead of cream, you can also use other milk products such as creme fraiche, buttermilk or yogurt. Each one will give you a different taste, some sweeter and some more tart than ordinary cream. Depending on if and how you are flavoring your panna cotta, there are some winning combinations if you take time to experiment a little.