Equipment
Ingredients
Panna Cotta Base
- 30 ml cold water
- 7 g unflavored gelatin powder
- 400 ml heavy cream, minimum 35 percent fat
- 100 ml whole milk
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
Berry Coulis
- 200 g mixed berries, fresh or frozen
- 30 g granulated sugar
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 488 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 35 g
- Fat
- 37 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 32 g
- Sodium
- 42 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 24 g
- Trans Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 9 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 116 mg
- Potassium
- 274 mg
- Calcium
- 96 mg
- Iron
- 0.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 22 mg
- Phosphorus
- 90 mg
- Zinc
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 424 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 11 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.9 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 6 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.3 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.05 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.27 mg
- Niacin
- 0.4 mg
- Folate
- 17 mcg
- Water
- 129 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the cold water into a small mixing bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin powder evenly over the surface of the water. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes to bloom until it becomes a solid, rubbery mass.
In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream, whole milk, sugar, and the scraped vanilla bean seeds along with the pod. Heat gently over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is steaming and reaches approximately 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit). Do not let it boil.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Discard the vanilla bean pod. Add the bloomed gelatin mass to the hot cream mixture and whisk continuously until the gelatin is completely dissolved with no lumps remaining.
Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a pouring jug to remove any undissolved gelatin or vanilla bean fibers. Divide the mixture evenly among 4 ramekins or molds.
Allow the molds to cool at room temperature for 15 minutes, then cover each with plastic wrap. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours, or until completely set.
While the panna cotta chills, prepare the berry coulis. In a clean saucepan, combine the mixed berries, sugar, and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes until the berries break down and release their juices, slightly thickening.
Press the cooked berries through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl using the back of a spoon or a spatula to extract all the smooth puree. Discard the seeds. Chill the coulis in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
To serve, dip the outside of each ramekin into a bowl of warm water for 5 to 10 seconds. Run a thin knife around the very top edge, then invert onto a serving plate and gently shake to release. Spoon the chilled berry coulis over the top.
Chef's Notes
- The perfect panna cotta should have a tender, delicate wobble, akin to a woman's breast as described in classic Italian culinary lore. It should never be rubbery or stiff. Accurately measuring the gelatin is crucial.
- For the smoothest texture, strain the cream mixture into a pouring jug rather than directly into the molds. This ensures absolutely no clumped gelatin or stray vanilla fibers make it into the final dessert.
- If using gelatin leaves (sheet gelatin) instead of powder, you will need approximately 2.5 gold-strength leaves to replace 7 grams of powder. Soak them in plenty of cold water until soft, then squeeze out excess water before whisking into the hot cream.
- To achieve a beautiful angled presentation, set your ramekins or jars in a muffin tin or egg carton at a 45-degree tilt in the refrigerator while the panna cotta sets.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Keep covered with plastic wrap directly touching the surface or in sealed containers to prevent a skin from forming.
Troubleshooting
Panna cotta did not set and is runny
Cause: Gelatin was not bloomed properly, or the cream mixture was boiled (which weakens gelatin), or it hasn't chilled long enough
Fix: If it has chilled for 12 hours and is still runny, you can gently reheat the mixture, whisk in 2 extra grams of bloomed gelatin, and reset in molds.
Prevention: Ensure gelatin is fully bloomed in cold water and never bring the cream mixture to a rolling boil.
Panna cotta separated into two distinct layers
Cause: The mixture was poured into molds while too hot, causing the heavier milk to separate from the lighter cream before it set
Fix: Cannot be fixed once set, but the dessert is still perfectly safe and delicious to eat.
Prevention: Cool the mixture over an ice bath while stirring gently until it thickens slightly before pouring into molds.
Panna cotta refuses to unmold
Cause: Vacuum suction is holding it in the mold, or it wasn't dipped in warm water long enough
Fix: Dip in warm water for 5 more seconds. If it still sticks, use a thin, flexible knife to carefully break the suction along one edge to let air in.
Prevention: Lightly oil the molds with a neutral oil before filling, or ensure a proper warm water dip.
Cultural Context
Panna Cotta literally translates to cooked cream in Italian. Hailing from the northern region of Piedmont, this dessert was traditionally thickened with boiled fish bones before the advent of commercial gelatin. Today, it stands as a global symbol of elegant Italian minimalism, relying entirely on the high quality of its dairy and the precision of its technique.
