15) Earl Grey Panna Cotta (Dessert Diary, Part 3)

I) Panna Cotta, literally means “cooked cream” in Italian. Although the cream is barely cooked, Panna cotta is best described as a cream gelatin. Which is better than it sounds. Here I take the basic recipe from Alton Brown, and flavor it with Earl Grey tea.

II) Earl Grey Panna Cotta

Materials:

· 3 12-ounce cans of evaporated milk

· 1 ounce of unflavored gelatin

· 1.5 cups heavy cream

· 5 ounces of sugar

· 1 tsp salt

· ¼ cup loose leaf earl grey tea (or 4 tea bags)

Method:

1) Bloom the gelatin in 1 can of evaporated milk for 5 minutes.

2) Combine the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and allow the tea to steep in the mixture.

3) While the mixture is still warm, pour over gelatin mixture and mix thoroughly. Cool to room temperature, then pour into ramekins or other molds.

4) Chill overnight. Serve with a spoonful of whipped cream and a few dry tea leaves for garnish.

III) Results and Discussion

The flavor came out great. The tea was pronounced without being bitter (thanks to the sugar and cream tempering the flavor of bitter). However, I think Alton Brown’s recipe either uses too much gelatin or not enough cream. I like panna cotta to have a smoother texture, and this was more gelatinous. However, the result isn't bad, it could just be better.

IV) Sources:

Brown, Alton. Good Eats: the Early Years. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2009. 259. Print.

V) Pictures!