Panna cotta is a delicious dessert that, as it is prepared today, meets a fundamental requirement in these hot days: it doesn't need an oven to make. Typical of the Italian region of Piedmont, its name doesn't deceive. Panna cotta literally means cooked cream (or cooked custard) and that's how it's made: from liquid cream that is gently heated with sugar, a gelling agent is added so it sets, resulting, once chilled, in a consistency similar to flan.
As is and with nothing else, it is a truly exquisite dessert in which it's essential to use a high-quality cream, since it's the ingredient the recipe relies on.
That cream, during the process, can be flavored with vanilla or another extract to taste, although it's wonderful as is. But it also offers a lot of possibilities, since it allows us to pair it with jams, creams, syrups, fruit..., thus giving the option to prepare many different desserts, when in reality it's the same dessert customized to our taste.
This recipe for pear panna cotta with orange coulis is delicious. It wonderfully combines the sweetness of the panna cotta (which we flavor with vanilla) with the sweetness of the canned pear, playing with the two textures. And it's topped with an orange coulis that rounds out the flavor in every spoonful.
I won't keep you waiting any longer, here is the recipe.
Set of two Emile Henry ramekins No. 8
Ingredients
For the panna cotta- 600 g of cream (35% fat)
- 3 sheets of gelatin
- 50 g of powdered sugar
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 large jar of pears in syrup
- 6 slices of dehydrated oranges (for decoration)
For the coulis:
- 3 oranges
- 200 g of sugar
Preparation
For the panna cotta
- Remove the pears from the jar and let them drain. Cut them into brunoise (small cubes).
- Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and use a knife to extract the seeds (do it using the flat side of the blade).
- Bring the cream and the powdered sugar to a simmer over low heat. Add the vanilla seeds, the pod and stir.
- Meanwhile, soak the gelatin sheets in very cold water.
- When the gelatin is hydrated, remove it from the water, squeeze it out by hand and remove excess water with a bit of kitchen paper.
- Stir it into the hot cream, mixing well so it dissolves and integrates completely. Turn off the heat and remove the vanilla pod, but don't throw it away. (At the end of the recipe I explain how to reuse it).
- Place the brunoise-cut pear at the bottom of the Emile Henry ceramic ramekins No. 8
- Gently pour the cream over the chopped pear. Do it slowly so the pear moves as little as possible and stir the cream in the saucepan so the vanilla seeds don't settle at the bottom.
- Let it cool to room temperature and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Squeeze the oranges to collect the juice.
- Strain it to remove any possible bits of pulp and pour it into a Shallow Casserole with the sugar. Let it simmer gently, stirring so that the sugar doesn't stick to the bottom.
- Remove from the heat when it begins to thicken and let it cool to room temperature.
- Reserve it in an airtight jar in the refrigerator until you're ready to use it.
When serving:
- Stir the coulis a little and spoon some over each panna cotta, covering the top. You can do it with a spoon or using a measuring funnel like the De Buyer one.
- Garnish with a slice of dehydrated orange and serve.
NOTES:
- Once you have used the vanilla pod to flavor the cream, when you remove it from the pan, rinse it lightly and dry it well. Store it inside an airtight jar filled with sugar to obtain vanilla sugar that you can use in your desserts and drinks.
- You can add a little gelatin to the coulis to obtain a thicker consistency. Depending on the amount you use, you'll get different textures that will give a different look to your panna cotta on each occasion.
- If you prefer, you can substitute the dehydrated orange slices with candied oranges.
One of the richest flavor combinations is panna cotta with a red fruit coulis or sauce. On the blog you can find the recipe for panna cotta with strawberry sauce and panna cotta with cherry sauce.
