I realise that as an adopted Londoner in the Naughties (oh god did I just write that word?) I should be proposing one of those one-name dishes that seem obligatory now: “FISH. Pollock. Sake batter. Five English Pounds.” But since it looks as if we’re about to say goodbye to Brown et al, I thought I’d do a dish that instantly conjures thoughts of newly-laboured, rocket-with-everything, pan-seared, pestoed cuisine. There’s even a coulis. Close your eyes and you can imagine yourself in sparkly Mandy-pants at the River Café.
This version of pannacotta, literally cooked cream, is adapted from Jamie Oliver. Say what you like about the boy (actually don’t, I’m a huge fan) but he does know his Italian food. It’s light and doesn’t leave you needing to drink a litre of water. Nor is it too gelatinous – it’s set just enough to not fall out of the dish, but there’s none of that almost chewy texture you can get when the gelling agent is overdone. That of course means it’s trickier to turn out. To be honest, I didn’t – I live with someone who hovers over my shoulder as I’m about to plate up, pointing out that he’d get to eat it faster if I didn’t bother (hence the woeful lack of food photos on this blog). If I do manage to distract him with snacks long enough to arrange things nicely, they are demolished in a couple of seconds with a couple of whacks of a fork in the name of “cooling down”. So I just left them in these cute ramekins (from my other true love, Crate and Barrel). If you really want to go Nineties it would look great in mixed up Lavazza espresso cups, or a-la-Nigella in one large dish so everyone can take spoonful after spoonful. Then serve the coulis on the side in a little jug for people to pour over.
Warning: Extreme deliciousness. May cause naughtiness. Of a good kind.
Pannacotta with blackberry coulis
Adapted from Jamie Oliver
Serves 2 in two large ramekins
For the pannacotta
- 100ml milk, 2% is fine
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds removed
- 350ml double cream
- 1¼ leaves of gelatine, soaked in water
- 70g icing sugar
Heat the milk and half of the cream in a saucepan with the vanilla and simmer until reduced by about a third (so there should be about 180ml liquid when it’s ready). Transfer to a bowl. Squeeze the soaking water out of the gelatine sheets and add to the hot milk mixture, stir to combine and then chill until the mixture is cold. It should coat the back of a spoon.
Whip the rest of the cream and the icing sugar until stiff, then stir in the chilled mixture. Pour into ramekins or a dish, cover with clingfilm and chill well, overnight is best.
To serve, either leave in the dishes or dip them in hot water to loosen the mixture before turning out on plates.
For the coulis
- 250g blackberries
- 70g caster sugar
- 2 tbsps lemon juice
Heat the blackberries in a small saucepan with the sugar, lemon juice and a splash of water until gently simmering and soft, about 5 minutes. Blend and then pass through a sieve. Chill until needed.
