Panna cotta with strawberry brandy coulis

Panna cotta is Italian for 'cooked cream' and, traditionally, it is made with double cream. The double cream makes for a very heavy dessert so it's best to cut it with milk. 

If you are using supermarket double cream, use a 2:1 ratio of cream to milk. If, like me, you are using raw (and very rich) jersey cream, then a 1:1 ration will be best.

This dessert is relatively easy to make but requires some fridge time so it's best to make the day before and it can spend the night in the fridge.

I made too much coulis and added too much fruit to it. My partner complained he couldn't taste the panna cotta. On the ingredient's list below, I halved the amount of both the fruit and the coulis to balance the recipe.

Serves: 6 persons.

Ingredients:

• gelatine (4 sheets or 12g powder)
• 250ml double cream
• 250ml milk
• 50g sugar
• 1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped and pod cut lengthways
• For the coulis:
• 125g strawberry jam
• 2 tbsp brandy
• 200g strawberries

Method:

1. Pour the milk and the cream into a pan with the sugar, vanilla seeds & pod and stir to combine.
   
   
   
2. Bring to a simmer and then remove from the heat. Let it stand for 10 min.
3. If using gelatine leaves, soak them in cold water for 5 min. Then take the gelatine out of the cold water and squeeze out the excess and add to the mixture. Stir until completely dissolved.
4. If using powdered gelatine, add the powder to 8 tbsp of hot water and stir briskly until thoroughly mixed. Then add to the mixture and stir until completely dissolved.
   
   
   
5. Pour through a fine sieve into a clean bowl. This step just guarantees a smooth finish but if you are lazy or are short of time, don't sieve. If you want to get rid of the vanilla sieves, you'll need to use a muslin.
   
   
   
6. Tip the mixture into the gelatine mould and then refrigerate for at least 4h or overnight. I sieved straight into the gelatine mould to save on washing up.
   
   
   
7. To serve, turn the mould upside down onto a serving plate. If the panna cotta won't drop out, carefully dip the mould in a bowl of warm water to loosen it. 
   
   
   
8. To make the coulis: 
1. Warm up the jam in a pan and then stir the brandy.
2. Let it cool down before adding to the panna cotta.
   
   
   
   
   
   
9. Serve with a drizzle of compote/coulis and/or sliced fresh fruit.