Sometimes the most rewarding and enjoyable meals are those that are the simplest. Often I will spend hours cooking a meal and the finished product has lost all allure for me. After tasting and nibbling I’m not hungry and however fresh and delicious the meal is, it feels tired and boring to me.
So when I was looking for a quick and easy dessert recently, I wasn’t joking about the quick or the easy requirement. But I also wanted something subtle, something grown up.
Panna cotta. It doesn’t get much simpler or sophisticated than this. Serve with some fresh rhubarb compote (oh yes, I’m getting through that produce) and fresh strawberries and this light, quivering, vanilla-ey mess turns into a delightful warm weather dessert.
Panna cotta with rhubarb compote and strawberries
Serves 8.
3C full cream milk
1C cream
1t vanilla extract (I couldn’t buy any beans, so this had to suffice).
1T gelatine (I couldn’t buy any leaves, so I used Ward’s gelatine powder, and I found it didn’t taste nearly as much as other brands I have tried).
1/3 C caster sugar.
Heat milk and cream until hot but not boiling. Add sugar and stir to dissolve. In a separate container blend the gelatine with a small amount of hot milk, gradually adding more, then stirring into hot milk. Remove from heat, add vanilla and pour into moulds. I used small metal dariole moulds, which don’t require greasing, just a dip in hot water to unmould.
Set in fridge – will take a few hours or overnight.
Serve with rhubarb compote – cook fresh rhubarb with a little sugar and some lemon zest until softened.
