Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Strawberry Jelly
- Place the berries in a large bowl. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the caviar with the blunt side of a knife. Set the caviar aside and place the pod in the bowl with the berries. Add the sugar and salt and stir to combine. Cover and leave the berries to macerate for 2 hours or overnight.
- Drain the berries - you should have 3/4 cup of liquid. Remove the vanilla bean pod and place the berries in a food processor. Blitz until it resembles mulch. Pour the mulch into a fine-mesh strainer and, using a rubber spatula, press any remaining liquid out of the fruit. You should have about 1 ⅓ cups of liquid. **
- Pour the liquid into a small saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer. While the juice is heating, soak the gelatine sheets in cold water. Wring them out and add them to the simmering juice. *** Take the juice off the heat immediately and whisk until the gelatine dissolves completely.
- Grease an 8x8 pan with a little neutral oil (I used canola) and add the juice. Cover and let it set in the fridge for 3 hours.
For the Panna Cotta
- When the Strawberry Jelly is nearly set, we can get to work on the panna cotta mixture. Pour the cream, sugar, and salt into a small saucepan. Add the vanilla caviar you extracted earlier and place the saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring it to the verge of simmering; don't let it come to a boil.
- While the cream mixture is heating, soak the gelatine sheets in cold water. Wring them out and add them to the cream mixture. Immediately take the near-simmering cream mixture off the heat and whisk until the gelatine dissolves completely. Set aside to cool to lukewarm.
Strawberries and Cream Panna Cotta
- Grease four small gelatine moulds or one large 3-cup mould. Pour roughly half an inch of the panna cotta mixture into each mould. Cover and let set for 30 minutes.
- When the 30 minutes are up, cut the Strawberry Jelly into small cubes. Add the cubes to the surface of the lightly set panna cotta and cover them with more of the panna cotta mixture. Cover and transfer the moulds to the fridge. Let them set for another 30 minutes.
- Repeat this process until you have roughly four strawberry layers. Once you add the last of the panna cotta, cover the moulds and let them set for a full 3 hours. ****
- When you're ready to serve, place the moulds in hot water for 15 seconds before inverting them onto a plate. The panna cottas should slide out cleanly. Decorate the bottom of the panna cottas with fresh-cut strawberries to hide any raggedy edges. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
** Transfer the strawberry mulch to a resealable container and store it in the fridge. Add it to my vanilla ice cream recipe before churning, and boom! You have a fabulous fresh strawberry ice cream.
*** If you're using powdered gelatine, dissolve it in a tablespoon of cold water. Let it sit for a minute or two, then add it to the juice. Follow the same directions for the gelatine called for in the panna cotta recipe.
**** I prefer to leave my panna cottas overnight after they are assembled. I think this has more to do with superstition than actual chemistry, but I find the extra chilling time helps them come out of their moulds cleanly.