Lemon Verbena Panna Cotta Food

BUTTERMILK PANNA COTTA WITH LEMON JELLY

Steps:

• Make panna cotta:
• Pour 1 cup of buttermilk into the top of a double boiler (not over heat). Sprinkle gelatin over the buttermilk, let stand to soften, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring cream and scant 1/2 cup sugar to a boil. Add cream mixture to the gelatin mixture; place over simmering water; whisk until the gelatin dissolves, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining cup of buttermilk. Pass the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined strainer. Divide among six 4-ounce ramekins or small bowls on a baking sheet. Cover; refrigerate until set, about 4 hours.
• Make jelly:
• Place 1/4 cup of the lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the lemon juice and let stand to soften, about 5 minutes.
• In a small pan bring the sugar and 1 cup of water to a boil over high heat. Pour the syrup over the gelatin mixture, whisk to dissolve. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of lemon juice. Allow the mixture to return to room temperature.
• Once the buttermilk panna cotta has set, pour a 1/4-inch-thin layer of lemon jelly on top of each ramekin. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes. The panna cotta ramekins can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance, covered and refrigerated. Serve chilled and garnish with lemon sorbet and crispy cookies.

LEMON VERBENA PANNA COTTA

Steps:

• To make the sauce: Blanch the lemon verbena leaves in a quart of rapidly boiling water just until they wilt and turn bright green. Wring all the water out of the leaves and pile them in a blender with the corn syrup. Purée the mixture, let it stand at room temperature for several hours or overnight, then strain it. Discard the solids and chill the sauce in the refrigerator.
• To make the jelly: Soften the gelatin in the water in a small saucepan, then warm the mixture over low heat until the gelatin is dissolved. Stir in the sugar, lemon juice and verbena sauce and distribute the mixture evenly between six 4-ounce flexible molds or ramekins, and chill the molds until the jelly is set, about 30 minutes.
• To make the panna cotta: Stir the milk, cream and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until the mixture comes to a gentle boil, then stir in the lemon verbena leaves and remove the pan from the stove. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, soften the gelatin in the cold buttermilk. When the lemon verbena mixture has cooled, strain the liquid and discard the leaves. Reheat the strained milk mixture with the buttermilk and gelatin until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Let the mixture cool to room temperature then distribute it evenly between the molds with the jelly.
• To serve: Dip each mold or ramekin in hot water and run a knife around the inside of the mold to loosen the panna cotta, turn the panna cotta out onto plates, jelly side up. Spoon about two tablespoons of Lemon Verbena Sauce around the base of each serving, then garnish with lemon verbena leaves.

LEMON VERBENA BUTTER

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until smooth and ingredients are incorporated.
• Transfer butter to a covered container approximately 2 hours or until firm. Note: be sure the butter is covered well or it will absorb any odors from the refrigerator.

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.

VANILLA BEAN PANNA COTTA

Steps:

• .Pour the cream into a medium saucepan. Using the sharp tip of a paring knife, cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Open up the bean and flatten out the halves. Scrape out the seeds with the back of the knife blade and add the seeds and vanilla bean to the saucepan. Stir in the sugar. Bring the cream mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, whisking occasionally. Remove the vanilla bean from the cream and discard.
• Meanwhile, pour the milk into a bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Let stand about 5 minutes and then mix the milk into the hot cream. Add in the yogurt and stir until smooth. Pour mixture into ramekins, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
• NOTE: This recipe serves six to eight people depending on the size of your ramekins. I usually fill mine generously and end up with six servings.
• TIP: You can make this recipe for Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta up to three days in advance - perfect for parties!

LEMON VERBENA PANNA COTTA WITH POACHED PEACHES

Steps:

• Combine the cream, sugar, crème fraîche, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and add the lemon verbena, lightly crushing the leaves before adding them to the pot. Allow the mixture to steep for about 1 hour. Keep tasting as it steeps until it has the flavor you want.
• Meanwhile, pour the milk into a bowl. Add the gelatin and whisk until it dissolves. Add the egg and beat well.
• Once the cream mixture has steeped, rewarm it over low heat until it reaches a low simmer, then pour over the milk-gelatin mixture and whisk until completely combined. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, then pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof container with a pouring spout.
• Lightly grease 10 ramekins, plastic cups, or coffee cups and line them up on a baking sheet. Divide the mixture among the ramekins and put in the fridge. Chill until set, about 4 hours. Serve with Poached Peaches.
• Set a large pot of water on the stove to boil and prepare an ice-water bath in a bowl large enough to hold the peaches. When the water comes to a boil, scald the peaches for 30 seconds. Using a mesh sieve or slotted spoon, transfer the fruit immediately to the ice-water bath to stop the cooking. Using a paring knife, peel the peaches (the skins should now slip off easily) and put the peels in a saucepan. Slice the peaches into eighths and place in a heatproof bowl.
• Add the sugar, wine, vanilla, and nutmeg to the saucepan and set over high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue cooking for 5 minutes longer. Pour the boiling mixture over the peaches and set the fruit aside to cool and macerate in the spiced wine. Serve with the panna cotta.

HERBAL VINEGAR WITH LEMON VERBENA & MINT

Steps:

• In a glass or stainless steel sauce pan heat white wine vinegar on the stove to where it is warm, but not boiling.
• Bruise lemon verbena and mint and loosely fill clean glass jars.
• Pour the warmed vinegar to fill each glass jar and cap with an acid-proof lid. Store in a cool, dark place and shake daily for 2 weeks.
• After two weeks have passed test for flavor; if a stronger taste is desired, strain the vinegar and repeat using fresh herbs.
• Store as it is or strain through cheesecloth and rebottle.
• Add a few fresh sprigs of lemon verbena and mint to the bottle for identification purposes and visual appeal.

LEMON PANNA COTTA WITH BLACKBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• For panna cotta:
• Lightly oil six 3/4-cup ramekins or custard cups. Mix milk and cream in heavy medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to simmer. Remove from heat. Cover; let steep 30 minutes. Remove vanilla bean.
• Pour lemon juice into small bowl; sprinkle gelatin over. Let stand until gelatin softens, about 10 minutes. Stir sugar and gelatin mixture into milk mixture. Stir over low heat just until sugar and gelatin dissolve, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in crème fraîche and lemon peel. Divide among ramekins. Cover; chill until set, at least 6 hours or overnight.
• For sauce:
• Puree 2/3 of blackberries and all reserved juices, brown sugar, and crème de cassis, if desired, in blender. Strain mixture into medium bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids in strainer. Stir remaining blackberries into sauce. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
• Run small knife around each panna cotta. Place bottoms of ramekins, 1 at a time, in bowl of hot water 45 seconds. Place plate atop ramekin. Hold plate and ramekin together; invert, shaking gently, to turn out panna cotta. Serve with sauce.
• *Available at some supermarkets. If unavailable, heat 1 cup whipping cream to lukewarm (85°F). Remove from heat; mix in 2 tablespoons buttermilk. Cover; let stand in warm draft-free area until slightly thickened, 24 to 48 hours, depending on temperature of room. Chill until ready to use.