James Martins Pomegranate Panna Cotta Food

JAMES MARTINS POMEGRANATE PANNA COTTA

Steps:

• Method.
• For the pana cotta, soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water until softened and pliable, about 3-4 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the pomegranate juice into a small pan and gently heat, before removing from the heat.
• Remove the gelatine from the water, squeezing out any excess liquid, and add the leaves to the hot pomegranate juice. Stir until dissolved.
• Meanwhile, place the sugar, orange zest and 350ml/12fl oz of the cream into a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve all the sugar.
• Pour the pomegranate juice into the cream mixture, stirring all the time. Set aside to cool a little.
• Place the remaining cream into a bowl and whisk until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed from the bowl.
• Fold the whisked cream into the set-aside mixture. Pour the mixture through a sieve into a jug.
• Arrange the pomegranate seeds on the base of four dariole moulds or ramekins. Place the moulds on a plate or baking sheet before pouring the mixture into each mould. Leave in the fridge for 1-2 hours, or until set.
• For the pomegranate caramel, heat a frying pan until hot, add the orange segments and sear briefly. Remove the orange from the pan and set aside.
• Add the pomegranate seeds, sugar and juice to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until thickened and the sugar has melted. Return the oranges to the pan and keep warm.
• To serve, remove the moulds from the fridge and dip the base of each mould into a bowl of boiled water briefly to help loosen it.
• Gently slide a knife around the edge of each pana cotta and turn out onto a plate. Spoon the pomegranate caramel around the side and serve at once.

VANILLA PANNA COTTA WITH CARAMELISED ORANGE

Steps:

• Place the gelatine and milk in a pan, then leave it to one side to soak. Meanwhile, place the orange zest, vanilla pods and sugar in a pan. Add 800ml of the cream, then bring to the boil. Simmer until the mixture is reduced by one-third. While the cream is reducing, remove the gelatine from the milk, set aside, then warm the milk. When it is warm, add the soaked gelatine and stir until completely dissolved. Add to the warm cream, pass through a sieve, then leave to cool.
• Lightly whip the remaining cream, then fold into the setting mixture. Pour the mixture into a 1-litre pudding bowl, then place in the fridge to set for at least 5 hrs.
• While the panna cotta is setting, make the sauce for the orange salad. Tip the sugar into a non-stick pan, then place on the heat to cook down to a caramel. Pour in the Grand Marnier and orange juice - this will make the caramel harden, so just simmer on a low heat, stirring, until it's dissolved to a syrupy consistency. Remove from the heat.
• Take the panna cotta out of the fridge, slide a knife around the edge of the bowl and dip very briefly in hot water to loosen. Tip the panna cotta into the middle of a plate, then arrange the orange segments around it. Spoon the orangey sauce over the panna cotta and oranges, then scatter over the zest.

VANILLA PANNA COTTA

Steps:

• Add the sheets of gelatine to a bowl of cold water and soak for 5 mins.
• Pour the milk and cream into a saucepan with the sugar and vanilla seeds (to scrape the seeds out of the pod, use the back of a knife). Stir to combine and bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat. Take the gelatine out of the cold water and squeeze out the excess, then add to the milk mixture. Stir until completely dissolved. Tip into four ramekins and place in the fridge to set for at least a couple of hours.
• To serve, turn each ramekin upside-down onto a serving plate. If the panna cotta won't drop out, carefully dip the ramekin in a bowl of warm water to loosen it. Serve with a drizzle of strawberry compote and sliced fresh strawberries.