This strawberry panna cotta recipe is excerpted from Renato Poliafito's new cookbook, Dolci! American Baking With an Italian Accent (Knopf). Read our related interview with Poliafito, the son of Sicilian immigrants who became a baker and then a restaurateur, with a bakery and café, Ciao, Gloria, in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, and a new market and restaurant soon opening across the street, Pasta Night.
Nigella Lawson said it best: Panna cotta should have the quiver of a seventeenth-century courtesan’s inner thigh. Panna cotta, literally “cooked cream,” is a softly set pudding and a wonderfully blank canvas for any number of flavors mixed in or served on top. This one takes things in a daring direction with a beautiful presentation that is surprisingly easy to execute. But if you want to keep things simple, feel free to pour the panna cotta into small bowls or ramekins to set and finish with warm melted chocolate, gooey caramel, or a spoonful of stewed fruit.
Strawberry Panna Cotta
4
servings4
hours5
minutesIngredients
- FOR THE PANNA COTTA
5 grams 5 (2 tsp.) Unflavored gelatin
225 grams 225 (1 cup) Whole milk
230 grams 230 (1 cup) Heavy cream
50 grams 50 (¼ cup) Granulated sugar
12 grams 12 (2 tsp.) Vanilla bean paste
or 10 grams (2 tsp.) pure vanilla extract
- FOR THE STRAWBERRIES
5 grams 5 (2 tsp.) Unflavored gelatin
255 grams 255 (1 cup) Seedless strawberry jam
170 grams 170 (1 cup) Sliced strawberries
Directions
- For the Panna Cotta
- In a muffin tin, set four 8-ounce serving glasses at a 45-degree angle. Stuff the muffin tin with paper towels if needed to hold the glasses in place.
- Pour 55 grams (1/4 cup) water into a small saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Let sit for 2 minutes until the gelatin is hydrated, then bring to a gentle simmer over low heat, whisking to dissolve the gelatin. Remove from the heat as soon as the gelatin is dissolved.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, heavy cream, and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly so the bottom doesn’t scorch.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the gelatin mixture and vanilla bean paste.
- Pour the mixture into a 3- to 4-cup measuring cup with a pour spout (or use a ladle with a pour spout) and evenly divide the mixture among the four glasses. The mixture should fill half of the glass at a perfect diagonal, almost to the rim. Leaving the glasses where they are, cover each glass with a small square of plastic wrap and transfer the muffin tin to the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight, until the panna cotta is firm.
- For the Strawberries
- Once the panna cotta is firm, prepare the strawberries. Pour 115 grams (1/2 cup) water into a medium saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Let sit for 2 minutes until the gelatin is hydrated, then bring to a gentle simmer over low heat, whisking to dissolve the gelatin. Remove from the heat as soon as the gelatin is dissolved and whisk in the strawberry jam.
- Fill a large bowl with plenty of ice, then set a medium bowl in the center. Pour the strawberry mixture into the bowl and chill, stirring often, until it’s starting to thicken to a soft gel-like texture, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in the sliced strawberries.
- For Serving
- Remove the panna cotta glasses from the refrigerator and set upright. Pour the strawberry mixture evenly among the glasses, filling in the other half of the glass. Cover again with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until set. The panna cotta can be wrapped in plastic and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Notes
- The recipes in Dolci! are listed first in grams to reflect the author's preference for more accurate baker's measurements.
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From DOLCI! by Renato Poliafito with Casey Elsass. Copyright © 2024 by Renato Poliafito. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
