Make This Recipe ~ You Owe it to Yourself

photo by mdid

As I stood over the remains of the pot of cooked tapioca spooning the last stray bits of starchy bubbles into my mouth, I came to the inspired conclusion that this recipe deserves to be shared.

For reasons of more than physical nourishment and sweet tooth fulfillment, but for reasons of over whelming textural sensations as the tiny pearl drops fill ones mouth. For the near instant gratification where something so luscious can be gently prepared in only 20 minutes and for the exotic flavors in such comforting surroundings.

And did I mention it only costs 45c per serve?

Aromatic star anise photo by FootosVanRobins

Ingredients

120 gms pearl seed tapioca

1.1 Lts milk

100 gms palm sugar

1 cup of water

100gms of brown sugar

2 cinnamon sticks

4 star anise

Serves 6 as dessert

Into a heavy bottomed pot, place the pearl seed tapioca, palm sugar and milk and bring to a simmer ~ stirring occasionally to break up any tapioca lumps that may form.

Allow to simmer gently for 20 minutes with more occasional stirring, whilst you prepare the accompanying syrup.

Stir together the water, brown sugar, cinnamon sticks and star anise in a medium sized pot and bring to a rapid boil. Allow the mixture to bubble and boil until it has thickened to a syrup and reduced by 2/3’s.

The tapioca is ready when the pearls are translucent and tender and the milk has thickened to a custard consistency.

To serve the pudding, spoon tapioca  into small bowls and pour some of the sticky syrup on top.

Book Your Cooking Classes for March and April 2010

Immerse yourself in the sights, sounds,  flavors and aromas of GREAT food whilst learning how to be a Masterchef in your own home!

Join me for Bridget’s Cooking Club Classes * to experience and enjoy new and exciting ways to prepare and cook the food you love.

The Long Lunch Cooking class**is an intimate 3-4 hour interactive hands on class, where we cook, eat and discuss all things food!

Learn How To

• Chop your way to glory ~ by learning expert knife handling techniques which will save you copious amounts of time and energy
• Eat seasonally and locally to maximise flavor and value
• Chefs hints and tricks to becoming a better cook
• Create masterful recipes that you can use over and over again
• Understand how to get the best out of everyday products you find in your local markets
• Cook tasty and quick recipes so you have more time to enjoy dining

What to expect when you sign up for the ‘Bridget’s Cooking Club’ Classes

Classes are hands-on and last for 3-4 hours, where we cook together as a group ~ tasting and sampling as we go and then enjoying a multi- course sit down lunch.

Come on your own or bring a friend because once you’re done cooking, it’s time to sit down at an Italian Style Long lunch table where you get to dine on the delicious dishes you have just created.

So bring some comfortable shoes, an apron, your enthusiasm and YOUR APPETITE!

The proof is in the pudding as they say….and YES there will a  delectable selection of desserts to choose from!

And did I say that these classes are held in the stunning surroundings of the Electrolux Showroom*** in Mascot, Sydney? So you get to cook and learn how to use some of the best kitchen technology available on the market today!

So Book your spaces in a class today, and become the chef you’ve always wanted to be!

Class Dates for March and April with MORE to be announced soon. Join one or join them ALL ~ No two classes are the same!

Please note that spaces are limited and come on a first in first served basis. Please see below for location, class details and conditions.

Tuesday 2nd March ” The Long Lunch”  Starting at 1030am: $95.00 per person

Tuesday 9th March ” The Long Lunch 2″ Starting at 1030am: $95.00 per person

Tuesday 23rd March ” The Long Lunch Focus on Seafood”   Starting at 1100am: $105.00

Thursday 1st April ”  The Long Lunch Celebrates Easter” Starting at 1030am: $105.00 per person

Thursday 8th April ” The long Lunch Focus on Quick, Easy and Creative Dining” Starting at 11am : $95.00 per person

* Please note that the following conditons apply: Classes cannot be cancelled or refunded unless done so by The Internet Chef ~ Cooking Classes. You may send someone in your place. Confirmation of classes are subject to payment verfication.  It is strongly advised that attendees wear comfortable clothing and covered nonslip flat shoes.

** The cooking classes are held in the Electrolux Showroom

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Jamie Oliver ~ Chef, Author and Father is an inspiring food advocate going head to head with Americas Food Obesity epidemic.

His wish ..” is to help everyone to create a strong sustainable movement, to educate every child about food, inspire families to cook  again and empower people everywhere to fight obesity”

A must watch..

This recipe is a first cousin to my wickedly popular Banana Coconut Bread with the  point of difference being the use of dark chocolate over thread coconut.

Does it make a huge difference? You bet it does !  Its TDF (To Die For)

For a double whammy in my house, we like to to cut the bread into gorgeous thick slices and grill for a minute or two in the sandwich press. The bread warms through nicely, the outside gets crisp from the grill bars and the chocolate begins to melt oh so seductively.

Ingredients:

4 large squeeshy, over ripe, brown and nasty BANANAS ~ mashed with a fork

125gms butter ~ softened

250gms/1 cup caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs ~ beaten lightly

250gms/2 cups of plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

175gms of dark chocolate pieces

Methodology:

photo by adactio

Preheat your oven on bake or fan bake 190C/ 380 F.

Into a large mixing bowl combine the butter and sugar, followed by the banana mess, eggs and vanilla extract.

Toss in the chocolate and stir well to combine.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt straight over top of the wet ingredients and fold through. At this point you want to be careful not to over mix. Over mixing will excite the gluten in the flour  causing  your bread to became tough and gluey. So to keep the gluten from getting to excited, be gentle with this step and fold rather than mix furiously.

Grease a loaf tin ~ making sure all the corners are adequately covered so the bread doesn’t stick. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 1 hour.

Test the bread by touching the middle gently with your finger ~ it will bounce back when it is cooked. You can also test by placing a skewer into the bread. If the skewer comes out clean with no sticky batter on it ~ its ready.

Remove form the oven and allow the loaf to to cool slightly for 10 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cut into thick slices and serve warm with ricotta or cream

Nana’s “World Famous in New Zealand” Carrot Cake!

The day I found out my Grandma was gravely ill, I booked a flight back home to New Zealand  to be with her and then went straight into the kitchen to soothe my soul by baking her “World Famous in New Zealand” Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese  Icing.

The recipes origin remains somewhat  a mystery, but its destination was always a well planned route ~ my stomach!

The smell of this cake baking reminds me of how a visit to my Nana’s always started with a phone call from me to say ” I’m on way Nana. You got time to pop one of your delicious carrot cakes in the oven…?” She always did.

I love you Nana.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil or light olive oil

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup plain flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 cups grated carrot

For the icing

1/2 cup icing sugar

60gms cream cheese

30gms unsalted butter

Delicious and moist when wrapped in this creamy frosting!

Methodology:

Preheat the oven to 160 C / 320 C

Into a mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla extract and beat well.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and baking powder and add to the wet ingredients , combining well.

Now mix in the cinnamon spice and grated carrot and pour the cake batter into a well greased cake tin.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes. The cake is cooked when a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean of any batter.

Allow to rest for 10 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack.

Cover the cake with the lemon cheese icing  once it has cooled completely.

To make the icing:

Soften the cream cheese and butter in the microwave on medium power for 30 seconds. Place the cream cheese, butter and icing sugar into a food processor and blend unitl the mixture is smooth and well combined.

Smooth generously over the cake and serve in thick comforting slices.

Lyndsay Jameson ~ Master Baker

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]]> http://www.theinternetchef.biz/2010/02/carrot-cake-with-lemon-cheese-icing/feed/ 0 http://www.theinternetchef.biz/2010/01/pork-crackling-2/ http://www.theinternetchef.biz/2010/01/pork-crackling-2/#comments Sun, 31 Jan 2010 08:42:39 +0000 Bridget http://www.theinternetchef.biz/?p=1989

How to achieve great pork crackling.

The beloved pork has suffered harshly in the last few years ~ with the terror that surrounded the Swine flu, and peoples  assumption that you could “catch” the swine flu from eating pork meat… False on all accounts! Pork has taken a hammering.

I grew up eating pork. It was a part of my weekly diet and came in abundant forms of thick juicy pork sausages, pork hock soup, bacon bone boil-ups and tender pork roasts. Pork crackling was always a treat fought fiercely over by me and my siblings.

One question I am frequently asked when doing cooking classes and demonstrations is how to achieve sensational pork crackling on the Sunday roast ~ to which I now have the definitive answer!

photo by gurms

I was fortunate enough to have recently spent time in the test kitchen of Electrolux Australia, where we probed the question of how to attain crackling success.

4 pork roasts, 4 pieces of pork fat and 4 different ovens later ~ the answer to the age old question of good crack is as follows.

Tip number 1

When choosing your pork for roasting, do so from a reputable meat supplier. The more in-depth knowledge that your butcher has over the beast they are selling, the better. Why? The best cracking comes from a female pig ~ so you want to secure your pork roast from a sow.

The female pig meat tends  to be sweeter than her male counterpart and also  have more fat under the skin ~ which is perfect for crackling!

Tip number 2

When choosing your pork roast, avoid purchasing meat that comes from intense farmed piggeries, but rather choose free- range and if possible organic. The meat will be more tender and relaxed and level of fat will be higher. Due to public demand, the pig breeder has been breeding pigs with less and less fat, so the meat is less tender and forgiving and the crackling harder to get right.

Tip number 3

Choose a pork roast with a good amount of rind still attached, and preferably start the following recipe the day before you intend to dine.

Pork Crack~ling

DAY ONE ~ preparation

Lay the pork roast on a chopping board, skin side facing you. Taking a sharp knife, make 5mm incisions in the pork fat ~ slicing down lengths ways. Cut the slices as close together as possible.

Lay the pork loin on a wire rack, skin side still facing upwards and pour 3 cups of boiling water mixed with 1/2 cup of glucose syrup over the fat. Pat the pork dry with a paper towel, and leave uncovered in your refrigerator overnight, as close to the fridge’s fan as possible to help the pork to dry out.

DAY TWO ~ time to roast

Remove the roast from the fridge at least 2 hours before you intend to cook it so it comes up to room temperature. Massage vegetable oil into the rind before seasoning  well with sea salt flakes, rubbing  the coarse salt into ALL the grooves you had previously sliced into the meat.  Try and get as much salt as you can into the grooves.

Preheat the oven on Fan Bake to 240 C/ 460F

Place the pork onto a wire rack with a  roasting tray underneath to collect  any drips and cook the pork  on 240C/ 460F  for 20 minutes before turning the oven down to 220C/ 430F and roasting  further.  The amount of time needed for roasting is dependent on the size of the roast and whether the roast has bones or not.

The rule of thumb is to allow 40-60 minutes per kilo, but a better way to determine when the roast is ready is when it has an internal core temperature of 71C / 160F and the crackling is good and CRISP! If you haven’t got a meat thermometer ~ it would be a worthwhile investment!

Allow the pork to rest on a wire rack, covered with aluminum foil for 20 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!

The Perfectly Balanced Summer Condiment

As summer  sizzles its way through  Sydney (Australia), so does the abundance of produce that is available at the local markets. I am impressed and sometimes over whelmed by the beauty and splendor that is on offer at local  markets and especially LOVE summer for its colourful and juicy bounty.

On one such market expedition with my tongue protruding and my tastebuds salivating,  I thought all my christmases had come at once when I came across a box full of scarlet red plum tomatoes for $6.99.

How could I  turn down such a bargain ?

My head was reeling with all the wonderful recipe possibilites that tempted and taunted me when deciding what to do with this ripe summer harvest. Fresh homemade tomato sauce? chunky tomato chutney? or perhaps, delightful jars of olive oil packed semi dried tomatoes?

My heart though eventually went with a recipe I started making a few years ago whilst working for the lovely Bill Granger. His dear friend Skye Gyngell from Petersham Nurseries in London had given him a recipe for Tomato chilli jam which I have adjusted slightly making this recipe literally worth breaking the law for.

It’s sweet and sour, salty and spicy and perfectly balanced. It is versatile in its applications where you can have it as a dip, try it with some pungent cheese, devour it as a pasta sauce or crave it on a side of toasted sourdough bread with fresh ricotta and mint leaves.

Either way, it’s a must try when tomatoes and summer are ripe for the picking.

Ingredients:

Makes enough for 6 large jars

4kg of plum tomatoes

4 Tbs yellow mustard seeds

350mls red wine vinegar

150gms of fresh ginger ~peeled and grated

14 cloves of garlic ~peeled and crushed

10 red chillies ~ deseeded and finely chopped. Choose your chillies by order of heat – the hotter you like them the smaller the chillies

300gms of palm sugar

8 Tbs of fish sauce

6 tsp cumin powder

6 tsp garam masala

6 tsp cumin seeds

6 Tbs brown sugar

1/4 cup olive oil

Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

Methodology:

Preheat the oven to 200C on Bake

Remove the edible core from all the tomatoes using a sharp knife and discard the unwanted cores.

Slice the tomatoes in half length-ways and lay them into a couple of roasting trays, flesh side facing towards you.

Drizzle with olive oil, cumin powder and garam masala. Sprinkle over the brown sugar and cumin seeds and seasonwell with salt and pepper.

Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the tomatoes begin to caramelise and brown  nicely.

Toast the mustard seeds in a dry pan until they go ‘POP’, then grind to a fine powder with a mortar and pestle.

Into a large pot add all the ingredients including the roasted tomatoes and cook on the lowset heat possible for 2-3 hours until the mixture is sticky and jam like in consistency.

Make sure you stir frequently to prevent the JAM from sticking to the base of the pot.

Spoon while hot into sterilised jars and and seal and store in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Squashed Banana’s aren’t just for slipping on…

As a chef, I’m loathe to throw out food!

Anything  that resembles something edible gets used, re-hashed, turned into stock, made into muffins or smoked, deep fried, preserved and brined.

I once worked in a very busy breakfast restaurant were fresh bananas were used by the box load daily. Sometimes the bananas would sit in the hot kitchen a little longer than desirable to be used under hotcakes, so we would turn these bananas into gorgeous loaves of twinkling banana bread.

My heart starts to sing when I see bananas starting to ripen and brown. I like to help them along in their over-ripening process by squeezing and prodding them and placing them in the freezer to really push them along the browning up stage.

Once the bananas are fully ruined for “normal” peeling and eating, its time to turn up the heat in the oven and make some of these delicious banana loaves. I like to use thread coconut in mine which helps to keep the bread decidedly moist and the crumb tender.

Ingredients:

4 large squeeshy, over ripe, brown and nasty BANANAS ~ mashed with a fork

125gms butter ~ softened

125gms/1/2 cup caster sugar

125gms/1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs ~ beaten lightly

250gms/2 cups of plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

1 cup of thread coconut

Methodology:

Preheat your oven on bake or fan bake 190C/ 380 F.

Into a large mixing bowl combine the butter and sugar, followed by the banana mess, eggs and vanilla extract.

Toss in the coconut and stir well to combine.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt straight over top of the wet ingredients and fold through. At this point you want to be careful not to over mix. Over mixing will excite the gluten in the flour  causing  your bread to became tough and gluey. So to keep the gluten from getting to excited, be gentle with this step and fold rather than mix furiously.

Grease a loaf tin ~ making sure all the corners are adequately covered so the bread doesn’t stick. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 1 hour.

Test the bread by touching the middle gently with your finger ~ it will bounce back when it is cooked. You can also test by placing a skewer into the bread. If the skewer comes out clean with no sticky batter on it ~ its ready.

Remove form the oven and allow the loaf to to cool slightly for 10 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

…and Sandwich is not number one!

Proudly brought to you by The 10min Foodie

Christmas is a time of giving and receiving ~ a joyous time of showing those nearest and dearest how much they mean to you and how much you care.

Recently a work colleague of mine told me a wee story about just such an event. A very VERY close friend of his lovingly gave him a sandwich press for Christmas, rattling on constantly about how it had revoluntinized her life. She spoke  about how many incredible toasted sandwiches, panini and bagels she could make using her blessed sandwich press.

His answer to the aforementioned home appliance,”  Doesn’t the women know I’m gluten intolerant?!”

I had to chuckle, the look of confusion on his face was priceless, “Shes known me for over 25 years and hasn’t yet noticed my inability to digest gluten…?”

His situation got me thinking ~ when life hands you lemons, build a lemonade stand and  franchise it!

In other words , what  types of food aside from bread products could be successfully toasted, grilled, sandwiched and pressed in an unwanted Christmas present?

Let the Countdown commence!

Number 10

Stone Fruit

photo by skyseeker

Try grilling some fresh peaches, plums, apricots or nectarines on your sandwich press by cutting the fruit in half and removing the pip.  Place the fruit in a single layer on the press and close the lid gently but firmly.

When the fruit are nicely warmed through and grilled lightly, remove from the press and drizzle over some runny honey or add a sprinkle of brown sugar to brighten the flavour.

Number 9

Tomatoes

Photo by The Ewan

Tomatoes are great to throw in to the sandwich press. They are quick, easy to do and provided you are using ripe, juicy tomatoes, the flavours are superlative once they have been given a light toasting!

To “press” your tomatoes, remove any green tops and slice both ends off the tomato. Now cut  the tomato in half through the middle and season well with sea salt flakes, freshly ground black pepper and a splash of olive oil.

Lay the tomatoes in a single layer on your preheated sandwich press ~ and cook for 5-8 minutes dependant on size of tomatoes. You want the tomato to be still slightly firm and not to spongy, but well grilled and caramelised.

Number 8

Pork Loin Steaks

Boneless cuts of meat are easily cooked through in the sandwich press ~ and Pork Loin steaks are no exception and are exceptionally tasty!

When choosing your loin steaks ~ pick ones that are evenly sliced so that they cook through evenly on the press. Season well  with salt and black pepper before placing on the grill and cooking through until tender.

If your steaks have some fat on them, there’s no need to oil them before cooking, but if they are just meat, lightly massage some sesame oil in to the flesh before pressing. Serve with whole grain mustard, apple sauce or your favourite gravy.

Number 7

Zuchinni

The wonderful Zuchinni or courgette as its more widely known makes an appearance at Number 7 . These little darlings  need only be sliced length ways thinly, seasoned with sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper and lightly oiled before pressing lightly for 3-4 minutes.

When they are ready, carefully remove from the press and drizzle with some good extra virgin olive oil and squeeze over a tiny bit of fresh lemon juice.

Number 6

Lamb skewers

Skewers in general work exceptionally well on the sandwich press provided what you are skewering aren’t to big and chunky and they are all of similar size.

Lamb is a real specialty when skewered and grilled on the sandwich press and is made even more delectable if sprinkled with a few Middle Eastern flavours like z’aatar or harissa.

Number 5

Burger Patties

photo by pokpok313

I love the idea of homemade burgers ~ made even easier if you cook the pattie in the good old sandwich press.

It’s twice as fast as cooking it in the pan or on the grill as you have top heat and bottom heat getting the job done super fast for you.

For a touch of burger class, choose the best quality ground beef, lamb, turkey or chicken ~ organic and free range . Add your favourite spices, diced onion and loads of seasoning to make a tasty pattie that’s good for you and good for the environment.

Wrap the cooked pattie in a burger pan with lettuce, tomato, relish and mayo to complete the ensemble.

Number 4

Steak!

photo by FotoosVanRobin

It would be unbearably  hard to convert to vegetarianism if steak always came out looking like this!

A juicy piece of fine rib eye or sirloin given the right royal treatment on the sandwich press would have me weak at the knees.

Best advice when cooking your prime cut on the sandwich press is make sure the grill is preheated and hot. Massage a small amount of grape seed or vegetable oil into the flesh before placing in the press and firmly closing the lid. Cook for 6-8 minutes for  a  steak similar in size to the photo.

When you take the steak from the press, season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and wrap the steak in foil and allow to REST for 4-5 minutes to help to keep those juices inside the meat.

Number 3

Salmon or Ocean Trout

photo by jlastras

Oily Fish like Salmon and Trout work splendidly in the sandwich press. They are firm enough that they stay together on cooking, and have a high enough natural fat level that they cook tenderly in their own juices.

Dependant on the thickness of your  fillet, it wont take you long to cook your fish . For a 200gm slice I would recommend no longer than 6 minutes in your press, with 3-5 minutes for the fish to sit once you have removed it from the press to allow it extra time to continue to cook thanks to the heat that is trapped within its flesh.

Serve with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and a few slivers of finley sliced chilli if you like it a little bit of heat under the collar.

Number 2

Eggplant

photo by Muffet

I have acquired somewhat of an addiction for eggplant cooked in the sandwich press. The grilling process helps to caramelise the vegetable and brings out the sweetness beautifully.

To cook simply cut the eggplant into even sized slices and oil generously with your favourite olive oil. Season well on both sides with salt and pepper before placing in the grill in a single layer and closing the lid firmly to squash the eggplant down a tad.

Cook for 4-5 minutes until the grill marks are prominent and the flesh has gone from white to brown. Serve in a  salad or as a side dish on their own. I like to dip mine in a miso dressing and eat with chopsticks.

And Drum roll please… The Number 1 food item to cook in a sandwich press that isn’t a sandwich …

Number 1

BACON!!!

I purposely left this photo big to celebrate the beauty of cooking bacon in a sandwich press.

If you are a lover and admirer of crispy bacon  in half the normal time it would take you to pan fry or grill it ~ the sandwich press is your new best friend.  It produces crispy pieces, removes some of the fat in the natural process of rendering as the bacon cooks and gives you a crunch and a tenderness all at the same time.

It is poetry for the bacon armored.

Choose streaky bacon for best results and lay the bacon in a single layer on a hot press and PRESS for 4-5 minute until cooked.

So here is my top 10… have I missed anything out???

What would you cook in your sandwich press??

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]]> http://www.theinternetchef.biz/2010/01/top-10-foods-to-cook-in-your-sandwich-press/feed/ 0 http://www.theinternetchef.biz/2010/01/white-chocolate-panna-cotta-with-summer-berries/ http://www.theinternetchef.biz/2010/01/white-chocolate-panna-cotta-with-summer-berries/#comments Sun, 24 Jan 2010 10:15:20 +0000 Bridget http://www.theinternetchef.biz/?p=1816

photo by Allerina & Glen MacLarty

Firstly prepare your fish bones … I’ve always wanted to start a dessert post with just such a statment.

Had we been preparing this Italian dessert tradizionale we would have started with the preperation of our fish bones which were used as the thickening agent.

Techonolgy now on our side, we are able to utilise a sprinkle or two of gelatin… thank fully.

Panna cotta hails from the Emilia -Romagna region of Italy,  the long held strong hold of Italian Gastronomy. For centuries the people of Emilia-Romagna have been delighting our palates and amplifying our bellies with such regional delights as Prosciuttio di Parma, Parmigiano Reggiano and of course the frangible and lightly cooked panna cotta.

The literal translation of panna cotta is “cooked cream”, which it is only just . The gelatin is used to set the dessert and I have added white chocolate to this recipe to make it extra decadent.

This relatively simple dessert, consisting traditionally of only four ingredients is made challenging only in thought ~ as too much gelatin will cause the dessert to turn out rubbery, and conversely, too little gelatin will cause the dessert to run forth onto the plate. By nature, panna cotta should be wobbly and voluptuous as a womens bosom which is not hard to achieve if you follow this simple methodology.

Serve elegantly plain or when summer berries are in abundance with a spoonful of these macerated goodies for a  sweet-tart contrast.

Ingredients

180gms white chocolate

600mls full cream

4 Tbs caster sugar

1 vanilla pod ~ scraped of its seeds

3 tsp / 10gms powdered gelatin

1/3 cup of boiling water

6x dariole moulds ~ lightly greased with non stick cooking spray

3 handfuls of fresh berries such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries.

2-4 Tbs caster sugar

1/4 cup of red wine, white wine or cider

Serves 6

Methodology

Into a heavy based saucepan place the white chocolate, cream, sugar and vanilla seeds.

Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly to ensure the mixture is smooth and does not begin to catch on the base of the pot. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for a couple of minutes to give the flavours time to get to know each other a little better.

Sprinkle the gelatin over the boiling water and wait a few minutes for the granules to dissolve.

Pour the gelatin liquid into the cream mixture and stir through to combine.

Strain the mixture through a fine sieve to remove any potential lumps, and then divide the mixture between the 6 moulds.

Lightly cover the moulds with cling film and allow to set in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours  ~ or overnight if need be.

Photo by ginnerobot

While the pannacotta are setting to their delicious jelly like state, you can prepare the berries to go with the dessert by heating them in small non-stick pan with 2 Tbs of caster sugar. Once you begin to smell the sugar caramelising slightly in the pan, add in a 1/4 cup of red wine, white wine or cider.

Allow the berries to come to a gentle boil so they begin to break down a touch and the flavour of the sauce begins to develop. Taste the sauce at this point ~ adding more sugar if the berries are particularly tart.

Remove the pan from the heat and leave the berries to sit and cool which once agian will help those wonderful flavours to shine through.

To serve your decadent dessert treat, unmold the panna cotta by running a sharp knife around the edge of the mould.

Hold the mould upside down in the palm of your hand and gentle shake the mould until the panna cotta comes loose and slides into your hand ~ now slid the dessert on to a deep dished plate and surround with berries and a spoon or two of the lovely berry sauce.