Strawberry and vanilla panna cotta

My latest post and recipe for Borough Market is SW19 themed. Do have a read by clicking on the link at the end of the extract below. The recipe’s worth having a go at too – it’s delicious, dead easy and something that can be prepared well in advance of your meal or late night fridge visit.

“It’s Wimbledon time! A few things are certain during these weeks:

• Occasional to heavy rain;
• Unfair pressure on the local hero; and
• Strawberries and cream.

Let’s focus on the positives, shall we?

Strawberries and cream are a synonymous with British summer and British sport. Rightly so: there are few things better than a strawberry in season; and the match of that sweet, red fruit with luxurious, velvety single, double or clotted cream is the kind of doubles combination that Centre Court daydreams are made of.” Click here to continue reading

Strawberry and vanilla panna cotta

Makes 5 dariole or medium ramekins sized panna cottas

• 160ml full cream milk
• 300ml cream
• 1 vanilla pod
• 230g strawberries
• 2.5 sheets gelatine
• 80g icing sugar
• 250-300g strawberries and 2-3 meringue nests to garnish

Bring the milk and half the cream to boil in a milk pan or small saucepan. Split the vanilla pod in half lengthways, scrape the seeds into the hot milk and cream and drop in the pods. Allow to infuse for 30 minutes. Pass the mixture through a sieve and pour back into a clean saucepan.

Soak the gelatine in cold water for 3-5 minutes. Reheat the milk and cream for 2 minutes. Squeeze out the gelatine and add to the milk and cream. Stir and ensure the gelatine is dissolved. Allow to cool for 20 minutes.

Blitz the strawberries with a hand blender or machine until smooth. Pass through a sieve so that you have a smooth coulis. Pour the remainder of the cream into a large mixing bowl. Add the coulis and the icing sugar and combine using a balloon whisk – stirring at first, then whisking for 1-2 minutes to bring the mix to close to ribbon stage (thicker than before you started to whisk, ideally so that if you drop the mixture back on itself it leaves a ribbon-like trail).

Pour the vanilla, milk and cream into the fruit, sugar and cream and whisk again until both elements are well mixed. Decant into dariole moulds or ramekins and chill in a fridge for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days (cover with clingfilm if leaving for a while).

Remove from fridge 20 minutes before serving. You may need to loosen the sides by placing the moulds in a tray of warm water, or by using a small cook’s blow torch.

Serve with fresh strawberries and broken up meringue nests.