I can usually predict how dinner at my Italian friends’ homes will end. There might be fresh fruit for a finish. Or there might be cheese. Or there might be fruit and cheese. But there’ll always be an apology.
“I’m sorry,” my friends will say. “We Italians don’t really make desserts.”
Untrue! Untrue! Never mind all the wonderful crostatas, those beautiful fruit tarts; cannoli; bomboloni, my favorite doughnuts; and gelato, a gift to the planet. What about tiramisu? And how about panna cotta? If Italy had given us nothing but the last two, we’d still have a lot to thank the country for.
Sadly, tiramisu (which you and I will make together at some point), with its layers of espresso-and-rum-soaked ladyfingers, mascarpone and cocoa, doesn’t get the respect it deserves, despite the fact that it’s a marvel. And panna cotta has become a dessert many think of as “restaurant-only.” Inexplicable. Foolish, too.
If you can make Jell-O, you can make panna cotta. I hate to think of them as being related, although they might be. But panna cotta is so much more delicious — and interesting.
The dish is kind of a custard, kind of a pudding and kind of a wriggly jelled dessert. It is basic and yet elegant. Simple things can be that way.
In this recipe, the cream is, indeed, cooked, but not much. It’s scalded — only until bubbles form around the border of the pan — and then mixed with tangy buttermilk and flavored with vanilla. What makes it spoonable rather than slurpable is the addition of powdered gelatin, a much-maligned ingredient that’s actually magical. Here, it turns the liquid into something almost velvety.
Double-strawberry buttermilk panna cotta
For the jam:
1 pint (8 ounces) fresh strawberries, hulled, rinsed, dried and thickly sliced
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
For the panna cotta:
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) unflavored gelatin
3 tablespoons cold water
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole or low-fat buttermilk, preferably at room temperature
For the topping:
1 pint (8 ounces) fresh strawberries, hulled, rinsed, dried and cut into quarters
1 tablespoon sugar
Freshly cracked black pepper or crushed pink peppercorns (optional)
Make ahead: The individual panna cottas (with jam underneath) need to be refrigerated for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days in advance. Top with the fresh berries just before serving.
Set heatproof dessert bowls, small tumblers or canning jars on a baking sheet or plate lined with paper towels, parchment or wax paper. (This makes ferrying the glasses in and out of the refrigerator safe and easy.)
For the jam: Stir the berries and honey together in a small saucepan. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring, until the liquid that develops becomes syrupy, about 4 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and stir for 1 minute, then remove from the heat.
Divide evenly among the bowls, glasses or jars; freeze for about 30 minutes or only long enough to firm up the jam while you make the panna cotta.
For the panna cotta: Put the gelatin in a microwave-safe liquid measuring cup or spouted bowl that holds at least 3 cups. Pour in the cold water; let the mixture sit on the counter for about 3 minutes or until the gelatin is thoroughly moistened.
Meanwhile, pour the cream into a small saucepan. Stir in the sugar and cook over medium heat just until the mixture boils around the edges.
Heat the softened gelatin in the microwave on high for 15 seconds or just until it has liquefied.
Pour the hot sweetened cream mixture over the gelatin, add the vanilla extract and stir to blend. (If your buttermilk is cold, first pour it into the hot saucepan and stir it around to temper it.) Stir in the buttermilk.
Remove the bowls, glasses or jars from the freezer; divide the panna cotta mixture among them. Refrigerate until the panna cotta is set, at least 2 hours, before serving.
For the topping: About 5 minutes before you’re ready to serve, mix the strawberries and sugar together in a medium bowl; let them sit for several minutes, just until the berries glisten and start to get juicy. Spoon the berries on top of each panna cotta, and, if you’d like, sprinkle with cracked black pepper or a pinch of crushed pink peppercorns.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition: Per serving (using low-fat buttermilk): 350 calories, 6 g protein, 32 g carbohydrates, 23 g fat, 14 g saturated fat, 85 mg cholesterol, 140 mg sodium, 2 g dietary fiber, 29 g sugar
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