Buttermilk-Grapefruit Panna Cotta with Caramel-Coated Almonds
By Lan LamPublished on March 11, 2020
Time
1½ hours, plus 6 hours chilling
Yield
Serves 8
Ingredients
Panna Cotta
½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams) sugar 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin Pinch table salt 2 cups heavy cream 2 tablespoons grapefruit zest (2 grapefruits)2 cups buttermilkAlmonds
¾ cup water ¾ cup vegetable oil ½ cup sliced almonds ¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar ¼ teaspoon table saltBefore You Begin
Make sure to unmold the panna cotta onto cool plates. If you'd rather not unmold the panna cotta, substitute 5- to 6-ounce glasses for the ramekins.
Instructions
- Whisk sugar, gelatin, and salt in small saucepan until very well combined. Whisk in cream and let sit for 5 minutes. Add zest to cream mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture registers 150 to 160 degrees, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let mixture cool to 105 to 110 degrees, about 15 minutes. Strain cream mixture through fine-mesh strainer into medium bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Gently whisk in buttermilk.
- Set eight 5-ounce ramekins on rimmed baking sheet. Divide buttermilk mixture evenly among ramekins. Invert second rimmed baking sheet on top of ramekins and carefully transfer to refrigerator. Chill for at least 6 hours or up to 3 days (if chilling for more than 6 hours, cover each ramekin with plastic wrap).
- Set fine-mesh strainer over medium bowl. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine all ingredients in medium saucepan and bring to vigorous simmer over medium-high heat. (Mixture will be very bubbly.) Cook, stirring frequently with rubber spatula, until oil and sugar syrup separate, about 10 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until almonds are coated in pale gold caramel, 2 to 4 minutes longer (caramel will darken as it cools). Immediately transfer to prepared strainer. Working quickly, stir and press mixture to remove excess oil. Transfer to prepared sheet and, using spatula, press almonds into single layer. (If caramel sets up too much, briefly warm mixture in low oven.) Let cool for 15 minutes, then break into bite-size pieces. (Almonds can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.)
- Working with 1 panna cotta at a time, insert paring knife between panna cotta and side of ramekin. Gently run knife around edge of ramekin to loosen panna cotta. Cover ramekin with serving plate and invert panna cotta onto plate. (You may need to gently jiggle ramekin.) Repeat with remaining ramekins. Sprinkle few pieces of caramel-coated almonds (use all of them) on each panna cotta and serve.
for the panna cotta
for the almonds
Time
1½ hours, plus 6 hours chillingYield
Serves 8Ingredients
Panna Cotta
Almonds
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Panna Cotta
Almonds
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Panna Cotta
Almonds
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Our silky-smooth, delicately textured grapefruit panna cotta is an elegant dessert that requires some waiting but hardly any work. We made it even simpler by skipping the traditional approach of sprinkling gelatin over cold water to bloom it before dissolving it in hot cream. Instead, we whisked together the gelatin, sugar, and salt and then whisked in cold heavy cream. Dispersed by the sugar and salt, the gelatin granules had plenty of space to absorb water from the cream, which readied the gelatin for heating. Bringing the mixture to 150 degrees extracted the fragrant oils from the grapefruit zest and ensured that the gelatin dissolved. To prevent curdling, we let the mixture cool to 110 degrees before adding the buttermilk. Finally, we portioned the panna cotta and refrigerated it until it was time to serve. Caramel-coated almonds added sweetness and crunch without overwhelming the floral and faintly bitter grapefruit flavor.
Before You Begin
Make sure to unmold the panna cotta onto cool plates. If you'd rather not unmold the panna cotta, substitute 5- to 6-ounce glasses for the ramekins.
Instructions
- Whisk sugar, gelatin, and salt in small saucepan until very well combined. Whisk in cream and let sit for 5 minutes. Add zest to cream mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture registers 150 to 160 degrees, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let mixture cool to 105 to 110 degrees, about 15 minutes. Strain cream mixture through fine-mesh strainer into medium bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Gently whisk in buttermilk.
- Set eight 5-ounce ramekins on rimmed baking sheet. Divide buttermilk mixture evenly among ramekins. Invert second rimmed baking sheet on top of ramekins and carefully transfer to refrigerator. Chill for at least 6 hours or up to 3 days (if chilling for more than 6 hours, cover each ramekin with plastic wrap).
- Set fine-mesh strainer over medium bowl. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine all ingredients in medium saucepan and bring to vigorous simmer over medium-high heat. (Mixture will be very bubbly.) Cook, stirring frequently with rubber spatula, until oil and sugar syrup separate, about 10 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until almonds are coated in pale gold caramel, 2 to 4 minutes longer (caramel will darken as it cools). Immediately transfer to prepared strainer. Working quickly, stir and press mixture to remove excess oil. Transfer to prepared sheet and, using spatula, press almonds into single layer. (If caramel sets up too much, briefly warm mixture in low oven.) Let cool for 15 minutes, then break into bite-size pieces. (Almonds can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.)
- Working with 1 panna cotta at a time, insert paring knife between panna cotta and side of ramekin. Gently run knife around edge of ramekin to loosen panna cotta. Cover ramekin with serving plate and invert panna cotta onto plate. (You may need to gently jiggle ramekin.) Repeat with remaining ramekins. Sprinkle few pieces of caramel-coated almonds (use all of them) on each panna cotta and serve.
for the panna cotta
for the almonds
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