Its Valentines day! expectations running high , lack of romance ? Doing a meal is always the best option – for me (being a chef) , and at least this way I can have a nice long play in the kitchen. Although we agreed that we wouldn’t get each other prezies (we exchanged cards though:)) I thought it would be nice to do something special – pop in a roast Honey & Mustard ‘mini’ Bacon Joint , with some veggies – sticky beetroot , roast rosemary potatoes , Carrot & swede puree. But a meal isn’t a meal with out a dessert! (& some Caramelised onion bread).
So I sent the lovely wife out for a bit (not sure where she went?!) , then ‘cracked on’ with making bread & the dessert.
Bread I’ll cover off another day – it was simple bread recipe , shaped into a bloomer, finished 1/2 way through proving with some pre-caramelised onions with balsamic.
The dessert: Strawberry & white chocolate Panna cotta with vanilla served with honey Tuille biscuits ,Star anise & strawberry jelly.
ingredients needed:
makes 4 portions
300ml double cream
125gms white chocolate
60gms icing sugar
100gms caster sugar
1 vanilla pod – cut lengthways
2 small leaf gelatine ( 1 for Panna cotta , 1 for jelly)
120gms strawberries (6 single)
300mls water
Tuille biscuit mix:
120gms plain flour 3 tbsp honey 40gms icing sugar 1 egg white 1 teasp vanilla essence 30gms melted butter
Start your Panna cotta mix by bringing to boil the cream , split vanilla & 1/2 of the sugar , 1/2 the white chocolate together, then add the (pre-soaked) gelatine.Whisk over heat well.
In a bowl whisk 3 of the cut strawberries , remaining icing sugar. Once blended combine with the cream & vanilla mix. Pour the Panna cotta mix into moulds or rings and chill in the fridge.
Mix all of the tuille biscuit ingredients together until a paste is formed. Using a palate knife spread the paste over a plastic template (I used a heart shape!). make sure when spreading the biscuit mix over the tray that the tray is either non stick or use a silicone mat.
Next focus on making the jelly – this goes on the top of the Panna cotta and a little used for the sauce.
Place the water , star anise , caster Sugar & 1 of the strawberries (chopped) into a pan and bring to the boil. reduce by 1/3 – add 1 leaf of pre-soaked gelatine. Whisk until dissolved and clear. Remove from the heat. Once cool pour 1/2 on top of the Panna cotta – this should be no more than 10mm.Place back into the fridge to Set fully.
Blend the last of the strawberries with 1/2 of the remaining jelly until a smooth sauce is made.
The finishing touch – melt the remaining chocolate and spread over some grease-proof (shave some dark chocolate in over the white) then place in the freezer to set (very hard!)
Plate up as the picture – I added some dried sugared vanilla, although the kids(watching us eating) didn’t get why we were eating sugared twigs….
This is a wonderful dessert! This would be my first time making this, so good luck to me!