Vanilla panna cotta with summer berries

Plan a week with Italian dishes

Let's cook

1. Soak the gelatine sheets in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes, until soft and floppy. Gelatine is what makes the cream set.
2. Put the cream, milk and 50g sugar in a pan. Warm on a medium low heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is steaming hot but not boiling. Boiling can stop the gelatine setting.
3. Take the pan off the heat. Lift the gelatine out of the water, squeeze it gently and stir it into the hot cream until it melts completely. Stir in the vanilla.
4. Pour through a sieve into a jug, then divide between 4 small pudding moulds, ramekins or glasses (about 150ml each). Let them cool, then cover and chill for at least 4 hours, until set with a soft wobble.
5. For the berries, cut any strawberries into halves or quarters. Toss all the berries with 1 tablespoon sugar and the lemon juice and leave for 15 minutes, until a light syrup forms.
6. To turn out, dip each mould in hot water for 5 to 10 seconds, run a thin knife around the top edge, put a plate on top and turn it over. Give it a gentle shake and lift the mould off. Spoon the berries and their syrup around. If using glasses, simply spoon the berries on top.

Tips

• A good panna cotta should barely hold its shape and tremble on the plate, not bounce.
• Lightly oil the moulds with a flavourless oil before filling if you plan to turn them out.
• They keep, covered, in the fridge for 2 days. Add the berries just before serving.

Swaps

• Vegetarian: use a vegetarian setting agent such as Vege-Gel instead of gelatine, following the packet, because gelatine comes from animals.
• Lighter: use half double cream and half whole milk.
• Winter: serve with sliced oranges or poached plums instead of summer berries.

More in the Italian meal plan

Our own recipe. The photograph is AI-generated.