# Panna cotta with an interesting 'twist'



## Ishbel (Oct 13, 2005)

*Coconut panna cotta with lemongrass and lime syrup*

This is a twist on an Italian pudding.

400 ml tin coconut milk
95g caster sugar
3 sheets gelatine
200 ml double cream
Zest of a lime
*Syrup*
200g sugar
100ml hot wter
zest of one lime
2 sticks of lemongrass, bruised
Juice of the two limes

Heat the coconut milk with caster sugar and lime zest (1 lime)  in a heavy saucepan over a medium heat.
Meanwhile, soak gelatine sheets in cold water
When mixture reaches boiling point, remove it from the heat.  Add gelatine.  Stir well to dissolve gelatine then strain into a large bowl to cool.
Meanwhile oil six dariole moulds or ramekins
When cooked mixture reaches setting point*, whip the double cream until it holds its shape.
Carefully mix the two creams together, putting which ever is the thinner into the thicker mixture.  Pour into parepared moulds.  Tap them to release any air bubbles and refrigerate until set.
Meanwhile, make the lime syrup:  heat the sugar and water together.  Dissolve the sugar, boil the syrup* and then add the lime zest and juice and lemongrass and allow to cool.  When cool remove lemongrass.
To serve - remove moulds from fridge, dip briefly into very hot wter to unmould and spoon over with some lime syrup.

*Leith's Cookery School, London*

_Texture is really important with this dish._
'Setting point' is reached when the mixture has cooled sufficiently to start thickening.  Ideally, it should be about the same consistency as the lightly whipped double cream.

Syrup needs to get to the short thread stage - ie when a little of the syrup (from the handle of a wooden spoon to avoid accidental burns!)  is rubbed between your thumb and index finger, it creates a thread about half centimetre long.


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## urmaniac13 (Oct 13, 2005)

Ishbel this sounds sooo delicious!!  I was just looking for a recipe for panna cotta... thanks!!


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## jennyema (Oct 13, 2005)

I love panne cotta and have a freezer full of lemongrass.  This sounds awesome, albeit a bit ambitious.

Can you use instant geletine?  If so, do you know how much = a sheet?


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## Ishbel (Oct 13, 2005)

Sorry, Jenny, I don't know about subsituting the powder for the sheets - I only ever use the sheets.  All my recipes say 'two sheets' or 'half a sheet' (I'll see if I can check on the box how much each sheet weighs) 

It's not a difficult dish.  Just ensure that the double cream is as near the consistency as the boiled coconut milk mix as you can get it, but it doesn't have to be exact.  

I only put the info re the setting point and the short thread syrup in case I was using terms not in use anywhere but here in the UK.  It's confusing enough with cups vs ounces vs mg or litres!


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## jennyema (Oct 13, 2005)

Actually the thread info is very helpful, do to my current lack of a candy thermometer! 

Maybe someone else knows about the sheet/powder thingie.  I have loads of geletine in the pantry for making terrines.


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## Haggis (Oct 13, 2005)

Substituting sheet/leaf gelatine for powered gelatine and the other way round is difficult. If the recipe author has used sheet gelatine you never really know what the weight of the sheet was, nor the strength (sheet gelatine has different weightings such as gold/silver/platinum).

My advice is rather than substituting one type for another try and get your hands on the type that is used in the recipe, saves a lot of hassle, believe me!


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## Ishbel (Oct 14, 2005)

I haven't used the powdered stuff for about 25+ years.  I find the results from the sheet gelatine gives me the effect I'm looking for - and over the years I've found a lot of uses for the sheets, besides as a thickener/setter.  For example, when making fancy kiddies birthday cakes, a couple of diamonds cut from the sheet makes amazing insect wings...   larger fairy wings can be cut using a template and adding a few glittery bits, windows for gingerbread houses....


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