RECIPE: Coconut Panna Cotta & Pineapple Gelee

From the Savvy Chic Cuisine: COCONUT PANNA COTTA & PINEAPPLE GELEE, Crystallized rose petals, Passion fruit pearls

Savvy Tips: You can make your own passion fruit pearls but here’s an example of when I’m fine buying ready-made. The flavor pearls by Christine Le Tennier are delicious and are easy to buy from Amazon or Modernist Pantry. If using gelatin sheets, bloom them before adding them to the hot liquid. Bloom (soften) the sheets by soaking them in cold water for five minutes. If blooming several sheets, don’t add them to the water all at once – add one sheet then when it’s fully immersed, add another and so on. After softening, gently squeeze the excess water out and set aside until you’re ready. If using gelatin powder, dissolve the powder in cold water in a 1:1 ratio.

INGREDIENTS for the Coconut Panna Cotta

1 can (400 ml) coconut milk, full-fat in this case because it’ll give a better mouthfeel

125 ml (½ cup) cream

2-3 tablespoon sugar, depending on preference

1 teaspoon vanilla 6 sheets gelatin (silver strength) or 1 package gelatin powder

PREPARATION

1. Bloom the gelatin sheets (or dissolve the gelatin powder) and set aside.

2. Combine the coconut milk, cream, and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a low boil them simmer until the sugar dissolves, stirring frequently.

3. Add the gelatin to the hot liquid, mix well, and cool to room temperature.

INGREDIENTS for the Pineapple Gelee

1 ripe pineapple, 5-6 lbs.

3-5 tablespoon sugar, depending on acidity of pineapple

2 sheets gelatin (silver strength) or ½ pack gelatin powder

PREPARATION

1. Peel, remove the eyes of the pineapple, and core. Cut the flesh of the pineapple, concassé (roughly chopped).

2. Pureé the pineapple concassé in a food processor or blender.

3. Pour the puree through a chinois or a large sieve lined with several layers of damp cheesecloth. Gently press the pulp with the back of a spoon or a ladle to squeeze out the excess pineapple juice.

4. Strain the juice once more to remove any solid pieces of pineapple and pour into a saucepan. You should have about 1 ¾ cup of pineapple juice.

5. Bloom the gelatin sheets (or dissolve the gelatin powder) and set aside.

6. Combine the pineapple juice with sugar. Bring to a boil then simmer and reduce to 1 cup.

7. Add the gelatin to the hot pineapple reduction, mix well, and cool to room temperature.

ASSEMBLY You have several different ways to assemble and plate your dessert:

The Classic: Pour the pineapple juice into small ramekins (e.g. ½ cup capacity) to fill 1/3 of the ramekin. Chill the ramekins in the refrigerator until the geleé is set, about 25-30 minutes. Pour the coconut mixture over the set pineapple geleé and fill close to the top. Lightly lay plastic wrap over the ramekins and refrigerate at least 3 hours overnight. When ready, dip the ramekins in warm water for a few minutes. Gently run a knife around the edge of the panna cotta and unmold onto your serving plate.

The Terrine: Follow the instructions for The Classic, but alternate layers of pineapple juice and coconut mixture, making sure to chill well between each layer. The terrine is great if you’re making the panna cotta in a loaf pan that will be cut into slices or if you’re using in clear glasses that will display the pattern.

The Tilt: Follow the instructions for The Classic but when setting the pineapple layer, tilt the ramekin/glass on its side – you’ll need to something to prop the glass up. When you’re ready to set the coconut mixture, don’t tilt the ramekin – instead, let the panna cotta set with the ramekin straight up. You can also reverse which layer is at the bottom i.e. let the coconut mixture set first (tilted).

The Laid-Back: Follow the instructions for The Classic but after both layers of the dessert have set, don’t unmold. Just serve! You can also choose which layer (pineapple or coconut) goes at the bottom.