Vanilla panacotta with rhubarb and raspberry

In keeping with my current fascination with panacotta and other custards, and in light of my recent success with the orange-ginger panacotta - here I go again!

The idea for this panacotta came while watching a coworker eat a fruit-in-the-bottom yogurt at lunchtime the other day. This version is much more civilised. The panacotta is creamy and distincly vanilla-sweet (with a hint of orange) and set off beautifully by the tart and fruity bottom. Make extra. We had a fight over the last one. That fight has not yet been resolved and the last panacotta is sitting beside me at the desk as I write this. I will let you know who prevails: me, Cakes or Tom, our guest from Seattle.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ Cups 35% m.f. cream
• ½ Cup milk
• 10 gm gelatine
• 3 -1 cm by 1 cm pieces orange rind, pith completely removed
• 1 tsp good vanilla (or 1 pod)
• 1/3 Cup sugar

• 2 Cups sliced rhubarb
• ½ cup juicy raspberries
• 1/3 Cup sugar
• ¼ cup orange juice

Simmer rhubarb berries, sugar and orange juice, stirring occasionally, in small pot while preparing the rest of the panacotta.

In another, larger pot, heat cream, milk and vanilla until gently bubbling. Add orange peel, sugar and gelatine and whisk until dissolved. Allow to simmer 5 minutes.

Rhubarb and raspberries should be well stewed by this time. If not, continue to simmer until mushy and quite thick. Spoon 1/8 of the rhubarb into the bottom of each of four small glasses. Strain the hot milk mixture (and scrape the vanilla pod into the milk if using) and distribute evenly among the glasses, pouring very gently so as not to disturb the rhubarb. Gently spoon ¼ of the remaining rhubarb into each glass so that it is heaped in the middle. If a little pokes out the top, so much the better. Set in the fridge to chill for a minimum of 5 hours or overnight.

Comments

["panacotta addict"]

Hey I tried your recipe for panacotta!!!! it was lovely!!!! Thanks bunches!

"panacotta addict"

[Brendan Johns]

Isn't a panacotta a solid cream based dessert? This looks like it would not hold shape if released from the glass. Please advise.

[Lyn]

In my exp. panacotta isn't exactly solid - its more like a thick,jelled custard. Traditionally thickened (at least partly) with egg yolk, but more often now with gelatin. And yes, it's made of cream. Panna Cotta is Italian for "cooked cream". I'ts also sometimes made of other stuff: buttermilk, coconut milk, plain milk... It can be served either from a mould in which case, it should be firmer than if it's served in a dish. Some of the best panacotta's I've had were so delicate and barely jelled that they probably wouldn't have stayed together if unmoulded.