Best of British: Panna cottas with strawberry sauce

By Weekend Reporters

Published: | Updated:

It’s a bumper year for strawberries and Wimbledon’s about to start – so why not serve up an ace yourself with these divine recipes

An elegant dessert that will go flying off any dinner party plate 

An elegant dessert that will go flying off any dinner party plate 

Serves 4

  • 3 sheets of leaf gelatine (see tip, below right)
  • 500g (1lb 2oz) strawberries, hulled and chopped, plus 4 left whole to garnish
  • 250ml (9fl oz) double cream
  • 150ml (5fl oz) milk
  • 1tsp vanilla bean extract
  • 2tbsp caster sugar
  • 3tbsp strawberry jam
  • 4 sprigs of mint

COOK'S TIP... 

Gelatine leaves vary in size from brand to brand and can affect how the panna cottas set. We used Costa gelatine (from supermarkets).

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Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water for 10-12 minutes until soft. Meanwhile, blend the strawberries in a food processor until smooth, then push through a fine sieve into a bowl, discarding the seeds. 

Place the cream, milk, vanilla bean extract and sugar in a pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Carefully squeeze the water out of the gelatine leaves, discarding the water, then add the  gelatine leaves to the cream mixture. 

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir until the gelatine has dissolved, then stir in 100ml (3½fl oz) of the sieved strawberry mixture, reserving the rest. Spoon the cream mixture into 4 ramekins and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Place in the fridge for at least an hour until set. 

For the sauce, place the jam and reserved strawberry mixture into a pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5-6 minutes until you have a thick syrup. Take the pan off the heat and allow to cool completely. 

To serve, turn the panna cottas out on to serving plates. Spoon the sauce over and garnish each one with a sprig of mint and an extra strawberry.  

  

 

  

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