Panna Cotta alla Vaniglia

The barely-set Italian cream with Tahitian vanilla's floral, heliotrope character: trembling on the plate in a pool of berry coulis

Origin: Piedmont, Italy

From the journey of Vanilla.

Panna cotta, 'cooked cream', originated in Piedmont in the early 20th century, though it entered the international restaurant canon in the 1970s-80s as an emblematic dish of the nuova cucina italiana. The preparation is deceptively simple: cream set with the minimum possible gelatin so it barely holds its shape, perfumed with vanilla, unmoulded and served trembling on a plate. The test of a great panna cotta is the set: it should quiver when moved, not wobble, and yield immediately to the spoon rather than requiring any cutting force. Tahitian vanilla (Vanilla tahitensis, grown in French Polynesia with its distinctive floral, anise-cherry, and heliotrope notes) is particularly suited to panna cotta because the delicacy of the preparation can carry Tahitian vanilla's complex perfume without being overwhelmed. French haute pâtisserie chefs have used Tahitian vanilla in set creams and mousses since the 1980s for precisely this reason: its fruitier character transforms a preparation that would be merely sweet with Bourbon vanilla into something genuinely perfumed and complex.

Ingredients

base

  • 600 ml double cream (heavy cream, 35% fat)
  • 100 ml whole milk

sweetener

  • 70 g caster (superfine) sugar

vanilla

  • 1 Tahitian vanilla pod, split and scraped (or 2 Madagascar vanilla pods for a creamier, less floral result)

setting

  • 2.5 tsp powdered gelatin (or 3 gelatin leaves)
  • 3 tbsp cold water, to bloom the gelatin

coulis

  • 300 g mixed berries (raspberries, strawberries), for coulis
  • 2 tbsp icing (powdered) sugar, for coulis
  • 1 tsp lemon juice, for coulis

Method

  1. Sprinkle powdered gelatin over the cold water (or soak gelatin leaves in cold water for 5 minutes). Leave to bloom for 5 minutes without stirring.
  2. Combine the cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla pod and seeds in a saucepan. Heat gently, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved and the cream is steaming; about 80°C. Do not boil.
  3. Remove from heat. Add the bloomed gelatin (squeeze out the leaves first, if using sheets) and stir until completely dissolved; about 1 minute. The cream should be clear of any gelatin specks.
  4. Remove the vanilla pod. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a jug. Leave to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin forming.
  5. Lightly oil 6 individual ramekins (150ml) with a neutral oil: a very thin film only. Pour the cooled cream mixture evenly into the ramekins. Refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours (overnight is best) until fully set.
  6. Make the berry coulis: blend the berries, icing sugar, and lemon juice until smooth. Pass through a sieve to remove seeds.
  7. To unmould: run a thin knife around the edge of each ramekin. Place a chilled serving plate upside-down on top and invert in one confident movement. Lift the ramekin; the panna cotta should drop free. If it hesitates, give a gentle shake. Pour the berry coulis around the base.

Notes

The gelatin quantity here gives the softest possible set; barely holding shape and trembling visibly when moved. If you prefer a firmer set (for individual pots served in the ramekin rather than unmoulded), reduce gelatin to 2 tsp. Tahitian vanilla (Vanilla tahitensis) is available from specialist vanilla suppliers online; its heliotrope-anise character is genuinely different from Bourbon vanilla and worth seeking for this preparation where the vanilla is the entire point.

The Gastrographer

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