Dessert Time

Here’s a recipe for something that I will miss!

Ivan (next door) is a chef and although I have been on the receiving end of a few of his specialties, my favourite is his Pana Cotta. I just can’t resist it, even if I only get the scrapings from the cups!

So, this should make eight or nine tea-cups of dessert. Choose eight or nine friends that really deserve this deliciousness!

1 litre of cream – 8 or 9 sheets or leaves of gelatin – 1 cup of sugar.
Now, here’s the thing, I have not ever seen these leaves of gelatin, but apparently they can be sourced easily in NZ (Ivan says so). They are in a packet made by the same company as the powdered gelatin, but are thin clear sheets of gelatin. And he says that the powdered stuff won’t work the same.

Heat this slowly in a double burner BUT FIRST you need to caramelize ½ a cup of sugar in a pot until it starts to turn to liquid, and it is this that you smear the bottom of each cup with before putting in the thickened cream mixture. You may have to do a couple of lots of the caramelized sugar to get enough for the bottom of each cup – let it set slightly before you pour the thickened cream mixture, and then put the cups to stand in the fridge to set.

When Ivan serves these, he pours a beautiful orange sauce over the top of the upturned pana cottas.

Recimo… zest maybe one orange and cut up the flesh into small cubes.
Caramlize 1 cup of sugar until it is tacky, almost like toffee – then add the zest, segments of orange and 1/3 of a litre of orange juice. Stir it on a very low heat until the caramelized sugar is mixed into the juice and then let it sit. You may want to thicken this slightly with a bit of cornflour, but go carefully because you want a clear sauce, not an opaque one.

This dessert is delicate and piquant and …. Just divine!!!
Let me know if you try to make it!