Panna cotta is a delicious dessert that, as it is made today, meets a key requirement in these hot days: it does not need an oven to make it. Typical of the Italian region of Piedmont, its name says it all. Panna cotta literally means cooked cream (or cooked custard), and that is how it is made: from liquid cream cooked with sugar, a setting agent is added so it sets, resulting, once chilled, in a texture similar to flan.
Just as it is and nothing more, it is a truly exquisite dessert in which it is essential to use good-quality cream, since it is the ingredient the recipe is built on.
That cream, during the process, can be flavored with vanilla or another extract to taste, although it is wonderful as it is. But it is also very versatile, since it allows us to serve it with jams, creams, syrups, fruit..., giving us the chance to prepare many different desserts, when in reality it is the same dessert adapted to our taste.
This recipe for panna cotta with pear and orange coulis is delicious. It combines the sweetness of the panna cotta (which we flavor with vanilla) wonderfully with the pear in syrup, playing with the two textures. And it is finished 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 n°8 ramekins
Ingredients
For the panna cotta
- 600 g cream (35% fat)
- 3 sheets gelatin
- 50 g powdered sugar
- 1 vanilla pod
- 1 large jar of pears in syrup
- 6 slices of dehydrated oranges (for decorating)
For the coulis:
- 3 oranges
- 200 g sugar
Preparation
For the panna cotta
- Take the pears out of the jar and let them drain. Cut them into brunoise (small cubes).
- Split the vanilla pod lengthwise and use a knife to scrape out the seeds (do this on the side of the pod that does not have the sharp edge).
- Bring the cream and powdered sugar to a boil over low heat. Add the vanilla seeds, the pod, and stir.
- Meanwhile, soak the gelatin sheets in very cold water.
- Once the gelatin is hydrated, remove it from the water, squeeze out the excess water with your hand, and blot off any remaining moisture with a little paper towel.
- Add it to the hot cream, stirring well so it dissolves and fully incorporates. 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 use it.)
- Place the brunoise pear in the bottom of the Emile Henry n°8 ceramic ramekins
- Gently pour the cream over the chopped pear. Do this little by little so the pear moves as little as possible, and stir the cream in the saucepan so the vanilla seeds don't settle on the bottom.
- Let it cool to room temperature and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
For the orange coulis:
- Squeeze the oranges to collect the juice.
- Strain it to remove any remaining pulp and pour it into a Shallow Casserole with the sugar. Let it simmer gently, stirring so the sugar does not settle on the bottom.
- Remove from the heat when it starts to thicken and let cool.
- Store it in an airtight jar in the fridge until ready to use.
At serving time:
- Stir the coulis a little and spoon some over each panna cotta, covering the top. You can do this with a spoon or by using a pouring funnel like the one from De Buyer.
- Decorate 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 saucepan, rinse it lightly and dry it well. Store it in a sealed jar filled with sugar to make vanilla sugar that you can use in your desserts and drinks.
- You can add a little gelatin to the coulis to give it a thicker consistency. Depending on the amount you use, you will get different textures that will give your panna cotta a different look each time.
- If you prefer, you can replace the slices of dehydrated orange with candied oranges.
One of the richest flavor combinations is panna cotta with berry coulis or sauce. On the blog you can find the recipe for panna cotta with strawberry sauce and panna cotta with cherry sauce.
