CHRISTMAS MENU: Charged with making a Christmas dessert but fed up with pav and tired of trifle? Look no further than this simple and elegant panna cotta by everybody’s favourite Michael Van de Elzen.
Recipe: Brown sugar panna cotta with plum compote
Who doesn’t like a classic panna cotta? Its creamy, silky texture is just an absolute delight! Getting that wobble is the key; sometimes it does depend on the type of gelatin you use. Like many ingredients in your kitchen, once you find one that works for you, stick to that brand.
Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes plus 3 hours setting time
Serves: 6
3 leaves gelatin
700ml (24 fl oz) cream
½ cup brown sugar
6 star anise
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
1 recipe Plum Compote (see below)
1 Soak the gelatin leaves in cold water for a few minutes to soften. Squeeze out the excess water before use.
2 Place the cream, sugar, star anise and seeds from the vanilla bean in a pot and heat over a low heat until the sugar dissolves. Turn the heat off and allow to stand for 20 minutes to infuse. Whisk in the gelatin. Place the pot back onto a low heat and gently heat for a further couple of minutes. Remove from the heat, strain out the star anise and allow the mixture to cool.
3 Pour the mixture into panna cotta moulds and refrigerate until set (about 3 hours). To remove the panna cotta from the moulds, dip the moulds very carefully in very hot water to loosen the panna cotta. Serve topped with Plum Compote.
PLUM COMPOTE
Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Makes about: 2 cups
6 plums, cut in half and stone removed
1 tablespoon honey
¼ cup water
2 star anise
1 tablespoon caster sugar
In a pot, combine the plums, honey, water, star anise and sugar. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the star anise before serving. Store in the fridge for up to 1 month.
SHARE ME