The basic panna cotta recipe is very simple:just pour 500 ml of liquid cream, 50 g of sugar and a little vanilla into a small saucepan. Bring to the boil then, off the heat, add two sheets of gelatin previously softened in cold water. Mix then pour into verrines and let cool. Panna cotta is traditionally served with a red fruit coulis. Note:You can replace the gelatin with 2 grams of agar-agar (a seaweed-based gelling agent that can also act as a natural appetite suppressant).
You can replace the red fruit coulis with any other fruit coulis of your choice. With mango coulis, your panna cotta will be just as delicious. For an even more gourmet version, enjoy it with fresh fruit cut into very small cubes, or with a chocolate or salted butter caramel coulis. You can also flavor your cream with spices (cinnamon, cardamom…) or even add a little caramel or chocolate, decorate it with sweets… Everything is possible:just let your gluttony do the talking!
Did you know that Italian mammas used to prepare their panna cotta (literally cooked cream in Italian) without any gelling agent? It was the egg whites that allowed the cream to set, and nothing else. The recipe is very simple:pour 600 ml of full cream into a saucepan with the vanilla pod and bring to the boil. Beat 6 egg whites with 75 g of sugar (without whipping them) then add the cream little by little. Pour the mixture into small jars and cook in a bain-marie for about 45 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!
