Passion fruit panna cotta with raspberry coulis

Panna cotta being a really common dessert featuring on the menu of most Italian and many other restaurants, I would have thought that finding a decent recipe for it would be easy. Well, I was wrong. It wasn't easy at all. I only found a couple and wasn't too convinced, ended up adapting one from Gordon Ramsay's "Secrets".
But plain panna cotta wasn't good enough, I decided to pep it up with the addition of two of my favourite fruits - passion fruit, my eternal food love, for the panna cotta itself and as a nice speckled topping, and raspberry in the form of a coulis on the side. It was meant to be a light dessert - don't know what I was thinking there with all the cream going in, but at least something different from the obvious chocolatey finishes (why? what's wrong with that?). It turned out nicely, but I am not bowled over. The flavour was great, the acidity and freshness of the passion fruit cutting through the cream just enough to make it a refreshing finish. But next time, I'll use way less gelatine, as I do like my panna cotta to keep its shape, but I don't want to compromise on the creamy texture and turn it into jelly... so if you're trying this, experiment a litte - or wait until I make it again with a new! improved! recipe!

Passion fruit panna cotta with raspberry coulis
(makes 6)

9 large, ripe and juicy passion fruits
1 tbsp muscovado sugar
6 gelatine leaves
570 ml double cream
100 ml milk
100 g sugar
1 vanilla pod

For the coulis:
300 g raspberries
50 g sugar
2 tbsp raspberry liqueur or cassis

Cut open the passion fruit and put the pulp and juice into a pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes, remove 2/3 and set aside. Strain the remaining passion fruit pulp through a wide-meshed sieve to separate the seeds from the flesh. Return to the pot, add the muscovado and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Soak 1 gelantine leaf in cold water for about 5 minutes, then add to the passion fruit untnil dissolved. Spread a tablespoonful of the passion fruit on the bottom of 6 buttered muffin tins. Combine the double cream and milk with the passion fruit juice, add the vanilla (scraping the seeds from inside the pod), and simmer for 10 minutes. Soak the remaining gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes, then dissolve in the cream. Leave to cool.
Pour the panna cotta into the muffin tins when it has cooled down enough not to distrub the passion fruit jelly on the bottom, then transfer to the refrigerator and leave to set for at least 2 hours.
For the coulis, combine all ingredients in a non-stick bowl and cook until the raspberries are cooked - puree using a hand-held blender and strain through a fine-meshed sieve, if required.
To unmould the panna cotta, place muffin tray in boiling water for 30 seconds. just enough to cover the individual moulds from outside. Using a bland knife, ease the panna cotta out of their tins and serve on individual plates, with some coulis on the side.

Comments

[Anne]

Sounds really good! My mom made a vanilla-infused pannacotta the other night, served in glasses, and topped with a rhubarb-caramel - it was absolutely great, I have to ask how she made that. It was really creamy, which is how I like my pannacotta. :)

[Moira]

I've never made pannacotta before, but I think I'll have to now...and soon. This looks (and sounds! divine!

[Nicky]

Hi Johanna,
I have been trying lots of different panna cotta recipes and also got to the conclusion, that I prefer it with less gelatine ;)
When I make panna cotta for 4, I have 400-500 ml liquid (cream with or without fruit puree) and only 2 sheets of gelatine. But sometimes the unmolding part ends in a bit of mess...
Nevertheless your creation looks extraordinary and so stylish!

[Anthony Rathbone]

Your panna cotta came out looking a whole lot better than my last attempt. I guess I will have to try again. I love the use of pasion fruit - great idea.

[johanna]

I am thinking now that I might try making it in a bain marie next time and not use any gelatine... and have serve them in the glass, so i don't have to worry about unmoulding them! anyone with a recipe out there, do get in touch!

[valentina]

I am also madly in love with passionfruit. Thank you for sharing this great recipe. I am definitely going to make it. getting more passion fruit this week.Have none left in the house.otherwise would have done it today.

[Bill]

I need to create a delicious dessert to follow a Thai banquet so I tried your recipe but substituted lychee puree for passionfruit. I whipped double cream and sugar to soft peaks over bain marie, added softened 4 gelatine leaves and then poured in the lychee puree only to be horrified as the whole thing curdled into cheese and lychee flavoured water. I'm going to retry but with natural yogurt. I'll let you know.

[Dana Zia]

Wow, just got back from Maui and made a KILLER passion fruit pudding with strawberries. I got home this morning and googled a panna cotta with passion fruit because I thought it would be so divine and there you are. I LOVE what you did with it. I will have to try this recipe next time.
Aloha

[chris allen]

6 oranges and zest of 2
1 vanilla pod split length ways
165g castor sugar
900ml double cream
5 table spoons milk
3 leaves of gelatine-soaked in cold water
4 table spoons vodka or grappa.

is truly fantastic, not got time for method will post later if i get time, but am at work (Chef)