For all us religious Masterchef viewers, Panna cotta is one of the most dreaded dishes, native to north of Italy the dish literally means cooked cream. Its probably the easiest dessert I've ever made but to be honest it is as easy to go wrong with it as well. Panna cotta is known for its silky smooth texture it is supposed to be just about firm with a wobble. My dish here is inspired by the festive colours with the not so wintry flavours its a blend of seasons, the colours on my plate bringing out the festivity and the tropical flavours giving you the comfort of a warm summer day.
My cravings for tropical flavours doesn't seem to end even during peak winter here this time in India, where its almost impossible to get your hands on a bunch of fresh lychees. Casually shopping online for some bake ware I stumbled across this beautiful website delivering a whole new perspective to delectable gourmet flavours and fragrances http://www.tenderlovingnose.com/gourmet-flavours.html and there ended my craving for biting into a lychee.
Barely a few drops of the lychee flavouring from tender loving nose in my panna cotta gave my dish a fresh tropical burst without any aftertaste that most artificial flavourings are known for, it rather left a subtle lingering taste as if I bit into a plump lychee only soft and silky instead of juicy.
INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE PANNA COTTA: Serves 4
- 1 cup heavy cream/ whipping cream
- 24 gms powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup half and half ( if its not readily available add 2/3 cup of skimmed milk + 1/3 cup of heavy cream , this gives you one cup of half and half.)
- 1.5 leaf of gelatine or 1/2 tablespoon of powdered gelatine
- 1 tbsp cold water
- 1/4 tsp of lychee flavouring from tender loving nose ( incase you are flavouring with a different brand of flavourings add as per your taste )
FOR THE POMEGRANATE JELLY: Serves 4
- 1/2 cup fresh/canned pomegranate juice
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 3/4 th tsp granulated gelatin
- 1.5 tbsp of cold water
METHOD:
- Soak the gelatine leaf in a tablespoon of cold water and allow it to stand for about a minute until the gelatine is soft.
- In the mean while add the cream, half and half and sugar in a saucepan and cook on medium flame to just one boil. Remove from the flame.
- Add in the gelatine and mix well until the it is completely dissolved.
- Mix in the flavouring and stir to combine.
- Pour the mixture in dessert glasses or ramekin moulds and allow them to cool for about 2 hour.
- Prepare the jelly, half an hour before you are about to check on your panna cottas.
- soak the gelatine in 1.5 tbsp of cold water and allow it to bloom, should take about a little more than a minute.
- Heat the pomegranate juice and sugar on low flame, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove form flame.
- Add in the gelatine and stir well until the gelatine is well dissolved.
- Pour it over the semi set panna cottas and chill for a minimum of 4 hours. For best results chill overnight.
Since my dish represents a blend of seasons, I incorporated winter and summer elements in my final plating, candied ginger bits giving the vibes of early christmas and lemon jelly bits echoing summer though the plate also balancing the sweetness of the lychee and the spice and pungency of ginger.
Wishing you a lovely weekend :)
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