Although your summer may be a distant memory, keep the season alive with this beautiful dessert which showcases the summer strawberry. Elegant and refreshing Strawberry Panna Cotta is the perfect pudding to impress guests. This recipe by David Moss, Co-owner and Chef at The Wensleydale Heifer, based in West Witton in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales will please even the most critical of guests!
Serves 4
Preparation time: 4 hours (including setting time)
Cooking time: 90 minutes
Ingredients
Strawberry Jelly
150ml Boiron strawberry puree
½ lemon (juice of)
1 leaf basil
1 leaf gelatine (softened in cold water)
Panna Cotta
300ml double cream, 75ml whole milk
150g caster sugar
3 star anise
1 ½ gold leaves gelatine (softened in cold water)
Strawberry Glass
100g strawberry puree
25g Isomalt
Strawberry Sorbet
350g strawberries
75g caster sugar
1 ½ lemons (juice of)
Short Crumb Base
50g plain flour, 85g rice flour
25g caster sugar
50g butter
5g salt
Poppy Seed Pebbles
75g egg white
55g caster sugar
1 lime (juice of)
5g almonds, 10g poppy seeds
Strawberry Black Pepper Marinade
150g strawberry puree
150g raspberry puree
12 black peppercorns
50ml balsamic vinegar
1 lime (juice of)
3 whole strawberries
Garnish
Basil leaves
4 x 100ml moulds
Method
For The Strawberry Jelly
In a pan, bring the puree, lemon juice and basil to a boil. Add the gelatine, dissolve, then sieve. Pour 1/2cm depth of the sieved mixture into each panna cotta mould and set in the fridge.
For The Panna Cotta (Prepare the day before)
Place the cream, milk, sugar and star anise in a heavy bottomed saucepan on a medium heat. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and set aside for one hour to infuse.
Sieve, then return to the pan and bring back to a boil. Stir in the gelatine and set aside. When the jelly is set and the panna cotta mix is lukewarm, pour onto the jelly and return to the fridge to set, preferably overnight.
For The Strawberry Glass (Prepare the day before)
Bring the puree to a boil, ass the Isomalt and boil for five minutes. Spread thinly onto a silicone mat (so you can see through it) and bake overnight in the oven at 55 C. When it’s ready it will be translucent and crisp. Break into shards and store in an airtight container.
For the Strawberry Sorbet (Prepare in advance and freeze)
Blend the strawberries with the sugar and lemon, then bring to a boil in a pan. Leave to cool then add to an ice cream machine and churn.
For The Pebbles
Whip the egg whites into soft peaks. Add the caster sugar until a firm meringue is achieved. Add the lime juice. Divide the egg white mixture into two, add the almonds and poppy seeds into one half and then fold in the other half. Place into a piping bag and pipe little drops (of 2 to 3cm circumference) onto a silicone mat.
Put in the oven at 110 C for 90 minutes until dried out. Store in an airtight container.
For The Short Crumb Base
Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until fine crumbs are achieved. Bake for eight minutes at 190 C until golden brown. Set aside to cool and place in an airtight container until needed.
For The Marinade
Boil the purees, peppercorns, vinegar and lime juice. Sieve, blend, cool. Dice the strawberries and drop them into the marinade. Leave for one hour.
To Serve
Run the moulds under the hot water tap for a few seconds to release the panna cottas. Assemble as in picture.