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Panna Cotta with New Season Berry Compote

Recipe serves: 6

A Little Background

As I’ve said before, “I love spring!” A time when menus virtually write themselves. How can one not incorporate strawberries, raspberries, boysenberries and blueberries into at least one course of a dinner menu. In this dish I’ve steeped more than stewed; blueberries, raspberries and boysenberries in a light sugar syrup to accompany the delicate panna cotta. Even if I’m only cooking for four I still tend to make this recipe for six, a little snack for the cook pre dinner…..ssshhhh.

What you'll need
For the Berry Compote

½ cup of each type of 3 different berries
1 tbsp icing sugar (powdered sugar)

For the Panna Cotta

6 ramekins approx 125 mls (4.5 oz) capacity
Unsalted butter
1 cup milk at room temperature
475 mls (17 oz) cream
3 tsps powdered gelatine
1 tsp vanilla essence
¾ cup caster sugar

Chefspencil.com - Panna Cotta with New Season Berry Compote

What to do

Lightly grease the ramekins with a touch of the butter.
Dissolve the gelatine in the milk.
Place the cream, sugar and essence in a saucepan and bring just to the boil then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
Add the milk and gelatine to the cream and mix well (be sure to get any gelatine that may have settled and not dissolved).
Let stand a further 10 minutes.
Stir and strain through a fine sieve and pour into the ramekins and allow to set in the fridge for approx 4 hrs.

I like to remove my panna cottas from the fridge about an hour before serving. I find this allows the flavours to marry without the distraction of excess chill.
If you plan to do the same make sure they stay stiff enough to serve. This is another good excuse to eat one of those extra panna cottas prior to dinner, “quality control.”

While the panna cottas set, place a saucepan over medium heat.
Add about a tablespoon of water, then the berries and sugar.
Once some juice develops in the bottom of the pot turn the heat to high and gently stir.
Once it reaches boiling, remove the pot from the stove and allow to steep for 1 hr, then transfer to fridge.
Once panna cottas are set and ready to serve, strain the berry compote (reserving the liquid).
Arrange your plates and carefully run a small knife around the edge of each ramekin to loosen the panna cotta.
Invert the ramekin onto the plate and the panna cotta should slide out.
If it doesn’t, carefully lift one edge and use the knife to let some air get behind it.
Top each one with a spoon of the compote and drizzle a touch of the liquid over that.

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Recipe By Paul Hegeman
Styling By Paul Hegeman
Photography By Jason Hamilton
© Chef's Pencil 2007