Thai Basil Pannacotta
Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves 6
Hello everyone! It’s been a long break we took for school, but Itadakimasu is back in business and we’re kicking off with a classic dessert, with a minor twist! Summer’s here once again, and amidst the horrible heat stroke and fire warnings in California, it’s also the best time of year to be eating some cold desserts, and there’s no better way for me than a creamy, chilled panna cotta. For those unfamiliar, panna cotta is an Italian dessert, somewhat like a pudding set from a mold much like flan; the difference being that flan is typically set with a tempered egg mixture, like a custard, and panna cotta is set with gelatin. Both are absolutely delicious. However, I wanted to focus on panna cotta today because I feel like it’s a bit better with fresh fruit, which we have an abundance of here in SoCal.
I have very little to complain about the original dish, but I do feel like it relies a bit too much on the fruit for flavor, and while it’s great that it’s simple, there’s really not much to it. So, this recipe is aiming to add a little bit more personality to this classic dish by way of an herb infusion into the cream. I’ll be using Thai basil for my version because I like the extra spicy notes to my dessert, but feel free to substitute any fresh herb, and match with your fruits accordingly. Sweet Italian basil works great with sliced strawberries, and fresh mint is a classic pair with blackberries and raspberries. Feel free to experiment, and contact us with what flavor pairs you’ve found that you like!
The Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 (0.25 oz. or 7 gram) packet of unflavored gelatin
1 ¼ cup of whole milk
2 cups of heavy cream
⅓ cup of sugar
½ cup of loosely packed Thai basil (torn in large pieces but not chopped)
½ tsp kosher salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 ripe mangos (or fresh fruit or berries as desired)
(Optional) Sweet aged balsamic vinegar
The Process:
Panna Cotta
Set aside ¼ cup of the whole milk and stir in the gelatin, setting aside for about a minute or 2 until the gelatin has become gummy and no dry clumps remain
This is called ‘blooming’ the gelatin and hydrates it, preventing lumps later
Pour in the whole milk, heavy cream, salt, and sugar into a small pot, and heat on medium heat until just simmering
Pour in the vanilla extract and the basil, or herb of your choice. Stir in and simmer for about 30 seconds before killing the heat, covering, and letting sit for about 5 minutes
This is the point where you decide how many herbaceous flavors you want; a longer time will make it stronger and less will make it weaker. I’d advise against doing it for more than 10 minutes at most, as spending too much time can make the herbs degrade and leech bitter chlorophyll into the cream.
I’d also pay attention to the type of herb. Thai basil is a tiny bit more resilient than sweet basil, so I’d use closer to 3-4 minutes for sweet Italian basil or flowers like Rose or Lavender.
Fish out the herbs and discard, trying to keep as much liquid in the pot as possible
Bring back up to a simmer and add the gelatin mixture, stirring until completely dissolved, cooking for about a minute or two
Pour into some heat resistant mold or ramekins, and let cool to room temperature before placing plastic wrap over them and fridging for about 2 hours or until set
Cut whatever fresh fruit you’d like (I’m using mango flowers, but just a couple slices of fruit or a couple of berries is plenty) and place on top if serving directly from the ramekins, or set aside to chill if using a mold.
Chill for another 2 hours, and serve in the ramekins, or if using a mold, run hot water around the outside of the mold briefly and invert onto a plate. Garnish as needed, preferably with a small sprig of herb and a very light touch of sweet, thick balsamic vinegar, if handy. Serve cold while it’s still hot outside.
A quality aged balsamic vinegar is thick and syrupy and needs only a touch on desserts to have an impact. These are hard to find, but well worth for what it adds to your desserts, eliminating the need for extra sugar or thickening.
