Blackberry Basil Panna Cotta Food

PANNA COTTA WITH FRESH BERRIES

Steps:

• Place the milk in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over. Let stand for 3 to 5 minutes to soften the gelatin. Pour milk mixture into a heavy saucepan and stir over medium heat just until the gelatin dissolves but the milk does not boil, about 5 minutes. Add the cream, honey, sugar, and salt. Stir until the sugar dissolves, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat. Pour into 6 wine glasses so that they are 1/2 full. Cool slightly. Refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours.
• Spoon the berries atop the panna cotta and serve.

LEMON PANNA COTTA WITH BLACKBERRIES & HONEY MADELEINES

Steps:

• For the panna cotta, put 6 small pudding moulds (about 120ml each) on a baking tray. Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of very cold water (see tip, below) and set aside.
• Put the cream, milk and sugar into a large pan and bring slowly to the boil. When the cream is boiling, add the lemon juice and the lemon and lime zest and whisk well. Simmer for a few mins until reduced slightly, then turn off the heat.
• Scoop the softened gelatine out of the water and squeeze off any excess water. Stir into the hot cream, leave until just warm, then strain the cream into a jug. Carefully pour the mix into the moulds and place in the fridge for at least 5 hrs until completely set - overnight is ideal.
• To make the madeleines, beat the eggs with the sugar and honey until light and airy. Whisk in the flour and ground almonds until completely incorporated, then gradually whisk in the cooled, melted butter. The batter can be made several hrs in advance.
• To bake the madeleines, heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Generously butter, then flour, the madeleine or bun tins. Spoon the batter into the tins and bake for 10-12 mins, depending on the size of the tins.
• When the madeleines are golden and baked all the way through, remove from the oven and leave to cool for 2 mins. Tip out of the tin and bake another batch, if you need to. Drizzle the blackberries with liqueur, if using.
• To unmould the panna cottas, run the tip of a knife around the edge of the mould. Dip the mould briefly into hot water until the filling just comes away from the sides. Use your fingers to gently loosen the panna cotta away from the edges of the mould. When you are confident that it will turn out, reverse the mould onto a serving plate and gently lift off, releasing the contents.
• To plate up, unmould a panna cotta in the middle of each plate, pouring over any melted mix from the mould. Arrange blackberries around half of the panna cotta. Place a few madeleines on the opposite side of the plate. Spoon over a little of the blackberry juices from the bowl and serve straight away.

BLACKBERRY BUTTERMILK PANNA COTTAS WITH BLACKBERRY COMPOTE

Steps:

• Make panna cottas:
• Purée blackberries with buttermilk in a blender until very smooth, then pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on and then discarding solids.
• Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small bowl and let stand 1 minute to soften.
• While gelatin softens, heat cream and sugar in a saucepan over moderate heat until hot, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add gelatin mixture, stirring until dissolved. Stir cream mixture and syrup into blackberry purée, then pour through cleaned sieve into a bowl. Pour mixture into molds and chill, covered, until firm, at least 8 hours.
• Make compote while panna cottas finish chilling:
• Boil water, crème de cassis, and sugar in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally, until syrupy and reduced to about 1/3 cup, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, then pour syrup over blackberries and gently stir to combine.
• To serve panna cottas, run a thin knife along edge of molds to loosen if necessary and dip molds in a small bowl of warm water 3 to 5 seconds, then invert panna cottas onto plates and gently lift off molds. Spoon berries and syrup over and around each panna cotta.