SORREL PANNA COTTA
Robert Reynolds
Week 3. We’re making a panna cotta with sorrel that is breath taking. I went back to the book I wrote with Josephine Araldo FROM A BRETON GARDEN because I remembered she had a recipe for sorrel but forgot the details. Her recipe calls for making jelly flavored with ginger and lime. “Dude,” I thought, she did that a century ago! So we took off on our adventure, and the results were show stopping.
I’ve become enchanted with the idea of savory panna cotta. We’ve done them with cucumber, flavored with mustard and tons of herbs. They’re like little contained salads and you just know they’re the perfect summer food.
We’re enthralled by experimenting. Vitaly Paley asked us to test recipes for his new book THE PALEY PLACE COOKBOOK that goes to press next week. It is due for release in September/October. (It’s available by pre-order from Amazon.) Recipe testing has helped me depart from the regular agenda of the 8-week course at the Chef Studio so we stretch our thinking, have fun, and get to enjoy amazing food.
1-1/2 teaspoons gelatin
3 tablespoons cold water
½ cup organic whole milk
1 inch piece of ginger, grated fine
1 cup sorrel leaves, stems removed
Grated rind of 1 lime
Juice of half a lime
Pinch of salt
1-cup excellent quality heavy cream
8 ¼ cup ramekins, lightly oiled with flavorless oil
Bloom the gelatin by mixing thoroughly with cold water and leave to set for 5 minutes. Scald the milk along with the ginger. Strain it over the gelatin; discard the ginger. Immediately pour the hot liquid into the blender, add the sorrel leaves and liquefy. Remove to a utility bowl, adding the lime rind, salt and lime juice to taste. When cool, (about 5 minutes) add the cream, mixing well. Divide the mixture among the ramekins and refrigerate for 2 hours until set. Garnish with a few lettuce leaves, dressed lightly with lemon and olive oil, topped with grated carrots, dressed similarly.
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