The recipes are aim to be as low carb as possible too so they are all grain and gluten free – (except for one rogue cake that slipped in!).
Sep 24, 2021
Back in the old days, when I could tuck into the sweet course when I was eating out, I used to love panna cotta. It’s such a light, refreshing end to a meal with the satisfying bonus of being able to carve a perfect spoon shape out of its lovely form. I’ve always assumed the attainment of the perfect panna cotta consistency must be a secret art passed down from pudding master to disciple. My previous attempts have certainly nose-dived - but I recently came across this fab Jamie Oliver recipe for panna cotta with rhubarb and strawberries. I’m happy to say it does the business every time.
He adds a honey to his pud but believe me, this is a subtle pud, it really doesn’t need a lot of sweetness added. It works perfectly with a just enough to enhance the vanilla flavour in the panna cotta and to compliment the sharpness of the fruit.
I used Troo – a syrup made from inulin, as the source of sweetness. It worked a treat. Inulin comes from chicory root and like most of the very low sugar sweeteners, the sugars are not digested. It has a neutral flavour and a very gentle sweetness. You can find it in most sizeable Holland and Barrett stores. (If you don’t want to invest in any - I’ve also used erythritol (brown sugar replacement) – ground to icing sugar consistency and this worked fine).
To make 6 small panna cotta:
2 leaves of gelatine
200ml milk (I used non dairy milk)
1 tsp vanilla paste
4 tsp troo syrup (or granulated sweetener ground finely)
200g natural yogurt
Rhubarb and strawberry compote:
200g rhubarb
2 tbsp Troo syrup (or granulated sweetener ground finely
300g strawberries
Method for the panna cotta:
Soak the gelatine in cold water for 10 minutes until its softened.
Pour the milk into a saucepan. Add the vanilla paste and syrup and stir in well.
Warm on a medium heat until simmering. Add the gelatine and mix until it disappears.
Take off the heat and use a whisk to blend the milk into the yogurt thoroughly.
Before pouring the mixture in 6 small glasses or moulds, I recommend transferring it to a jug to pour. You want to avoid getting any panna cotta spills against the glasses or moulds.
Pop in the fridge to cool for min 4 hours.
Method For the Compote:
Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 4/180C.
Chop the rhubarb into 2 cm slices and spread over a baking tray.
Drizzle the Troo syrup over the rhubarb.
Bake for 30 minutes until soft. Leave to cool.
Grate half the strawberries into a bowl.
Slice the remaining strawberries.
Add the cooled rhubarb to the strawberries.
To serve - simply take a small spatula and ease the panna cotta gently away from the edges and the bottom of the glass.
Put the dessert bowl/plate over the top. Turn upside down and tap.
The little love should drop out nicely onto the plate.
