Hi people

So at one of a close relatives event, was a casual function,a week before the grooms wedding. Generally these events lead to a series of even bigger events than the wedding itself. Almost every family member is present, from the kids, to neighbours, to the second, third cousins, distant aunties & uncles, you name it … basically, the whole family clan. Any hoo I was selected to make the desserts for about +50 something guest that night. With very little time to prepare in advance, I came up with a speedy & uncomplicated recipe. Served individually in flawlessly sized doses. Which was an absolute Hit!!!

Panna Cotta is another Italian classic dessert which in this case I added white couverture & buttermilk to give it a silky smooth & yet tangy taste due to the buttermilk. Indeed, its a panna cotta with a twist! What I loved about this recipe, is it doesn’t have to set for long hours, neither did I have to worry about unmoulding 50 desserts at the end (since I was pressed for time & could not take the risk of even 1 flopping ).I divided the mixture in plastic desserts cups & served it in those cups at the function. I also poured in the strawberry sauce at the bottom almost like a secret surprise.

Blancor Buttermilk Panna Cotta

Difficulty: *

Serves: 775gr

Preparation time: 10mins

Cooking time: 10-30mins

Ingredients:

250gr cream

125gr castor sugar

1/2 vanilla pod (cut & scraped)

lemon rind

4gr gelatine powder

20gr cold water to bloom the gelatine in

250gr cold buttermilk (you can also use fruit yoghurt/cream)

125gr blancor white couveture 36% cut into pieces (I used lindt)

For the sauce:

175g sugar

175ml water

350g fruit strawberries/raspberries/blueberries etc

Method:

1. Sponge the gelatine by adding the water & mix so no lumps until there is no water.
2. Heat the first amount of cream, vanilla, lemon rind & sugar.
3. Bring to the boil & add in the chocolate to melt.
4. Leave to cool down before adding the sponged gelatine.
5. Add in the buttermilk & mix until a custard like consistency.
6. Pour a strawberry sauce in first & than the mixture into glasses.
7. Garnish with fruit, mint leaves & chocolate or icing sugar to dust.
8. For the sauce, place the sugar, water and into a pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sugar has dissolved.
9. Take the pan off the heat and add the fruit/strawberries. Using a hand blender, blend the sauce until smooth.
10. Pass the sauce through a sieve into a the dessert glasses or onto the dessert.(I poured it in the middle as a surprise)

Bon Appetit!

Chef Tasneem Saith