Vanilla Panna Cotta

Name: Vanilla Panna Cotta
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 4 h 5 min
Total time: 4 h 25 min
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: 6 g gelatin (3 sheets of 2 g, or 2 tsp powdered), sheet sizes vary by brand, so weigh: 6 g of sheets or powder; 500 ml (2 cups + 2 tbsp) heavy (double) cream; 200 ml (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) whole milk; 75 g (⅓ cup + 2 tsp) sugar; 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped, or 10 ml (2 tsp) vanilla extract; 1 pinch fine sea salt; 300 g (2½ cups) raspberries or mixed berries, fresh or frozen; 40 g (3 tbsp) sugar; 10 ml (2 tsp) lemon juice

Barely set cream with a shiver, and a sharp berry sauce

Makes: 6 molds or glasses (125 ml each)
Hands-on: 20 min
Total: 4 h 25 min
Level: Easy

Sweetened cream set with just enough gelatin to hold its shape and tremble when you touch it. It takes fifteen minutes to make and a few hours to set, and a quick tart berry sauce balances the richness.

Ingredients

Panna cotta

6 ggelatin (3 sheets of 2 g, or 2 tsp powdered)sheet sizes vary by brand, so weigh: 6 g of sheets or powder
500 mlheavy (double) cream (2 cups + 2 tbsp)
200 mlwhole milk (¾ cup + 1 tbsp)
75 gsugar (⅓ cup + 2 tsp)
1vanilla pod, split and seeds scrapedor 10 ml (2 tsp) vanilla extract
1 pinchfine sea salt

Berry sauce

300 graspberries or mixed berries, fresh or frozen (2½ cups)
40 gsugar (3 tbsp)
10 mllemon juice (2 tsp)

Diet: Gluten-free
Allergens: milk
Origin: Italy (Piedmont)

Method

Soak gelatin sheets in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes until floppy (or sprinkle powdered gelatin over 30 ml cold water and leave 5 minutes). 5 min
Meanwhile, warm the cream, milk, sugar, vanilla pod and seeds and salt in a pan over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture steams. Don't let it boil. 5 min
Remove from the heat. Squeeze the gelatin sheets dry and stir them in (or stir in the soaked powdered gelatin) until completely dissolved. Remove the vanilla pod.
Set the pan in a bowl of iced water and stir gently for 5–10 minutes, until the mixture cools and thickens slightly. This keeps the vanilla seeds suspended instead of sinking. 8 min
Pour into six 125 ml molds, ramekins or glasses. Chill uncovered until set, at least 4 hours. 4 h
For the sauce, simmer the berries, sugar and lemon juice for 5 minutes, until the berries collapse. Push through a sieve if you prefer it seedless, and chill. 5 min
To unmold, dip each mold in hot water for 5–10 seconds, run a thin knife round the top edge and invert onto a plate, giving a firm shake. Spoon over the sauce. Or simply serve in the glasses with sauce on top.

Why it works

Gelatin is a protein that dissolves in warm liquid and forms a loose, invisible net as it cools, trapping the cream. The less you use, the softer the set; about 0.8% of the liquid's weight, as here, is just enough to unmold with a tremble. Boiling weakens gelatin, which is why the cream is only heated until steaming.

Common mistakes

Too much gelatin, which gives a rubbery, bouncy texture. Weigh it.
Boiling the cream after adding gelatin, which can stop it setting.
Unmolding too early. Give it the full 4 hours, or overnight.

Variations

Buttermilk panna cotta: Replace the milk with 250 ml buttermilk, stirred in after the cream has cooled slightly; keep the same 6 g gelatin.
Coffee: Dissolve 2 tsp instant espresso in the warm cream and skip the vanilla.

Make ahead and storage

Keeps 3 days in the fridge, covered once set. The sauce keeps 5 days.

Notes

For panna cotta served in glasses rather than turned out, you can drop to 4.5 g gelatin for an even softer, spoonable set. Sheet and powdered gelatin can be swapped gram for gram for home use; if your sheets are a different size (silver sheets weigh about 1.7 g, some brands 3 g or more), go by weight, not by count. Gelatin is made from animal products. For a vegetarian version, use 1.5 g (½ tsp) agar-agar powder: boil it in the milk for 2 minutes before adding the cream; it sets firmer and faster.