I recently (re) discovered panna cotta and remembered how delicious it can be. It is a great summer dessert as it’s very light (even though it is made from cream) and fruity. It is typically served with a variety of fruits: berries, exotic fruits, pears, etc.
For my first homemade panna cotta, I wanted to make it fresh and fragrant, so I made a strawberry, basil and lime panna cotta. I really enjoyed this dessert. I particularly loved the basil-strawberry combination, I’ll be re-using that combination in future recipes!
The only thing I would change for next time, would be to mix in some chopped strawberries to the coulis to add some more texture to the dessert.
This recipe is remarkably quick and simple to make. You just have to plan ahead a bit because it needs a few hours in the fridge to set up.
Source: Aux délices de Géraldine
Strawberry, basil and lime panna cotta
This fragrant strawberry, basil and lime panna cotta is a light and creamy summer dessert and will make a great dessert to end a dinner on.
For the panna cotta:
- 45 cl (2 cups) cream
- 50 g (1/4 cup) sugar
- 1 packet vanilla sugar or 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 gelatin leaves
- the zest of 1 lime
- the juice of 1/2 a lime
For the strawberry and basil coulis:
- 8-10 strawberries
- 3 basil leaves
- 1 tbsp sugar
For the garnish:
- 3-4 strawberries (washed and hulled)
- 4 basil leaves
Prepare the panna cotta:
- Pour the cream into a pan, add the lime zests, the sugar and vanilla sugar. Bring the cream to a simmer on a low heat, then remove from the hob and let cool.
- Place the gelatin leaves in a bowl of cold water and let them soften.
- Remove 3-4 tbsp of the cooled cream mix and place in a separate pan.
- Squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lime and add it to the remainder of the cream. The cream has to have cooled completely before adding the lime juice or the cream could separate.
- Heat up the 3-4 tbsp of cream that you put aside earlier, then remove from the heat and add the drained gelatin. Mix until fully melted in and let cool for a couple of minutes before adding the mix to the rest of the cream.
- Carefully pour the mixture into the four glasses, dividing it evenly, without allowing any to spill out. Place the tray in the fridge and leave to set for 4-5 hours or overnight.
For the basil and strawberry coulis:
- The next day or after chilling for a couple of hours, cut the strawberries into quarter, then place them in a mixer with the basil, sugar and vanilla sugar. Blitz until there are no longer any chunks, then filter the coulis so as to get a smooth result.
- Pour the coulis on the panna cottas and place in the fridge to chill before serving.