SUNDAY DESSERT #60: Panna Cotta
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Italy 🇮🇹
DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Easy
INSPIRATION: I had some panna cotta gelato a few weeks ago and loved it! I thought it would be fun to make the real thing.
RECEPTION/COMMENTARY: Panna cotta, Italian for "cooked cream", is a lightly sweetened custard; much like flan or crème brûlée. Unlike its other European cousins, however, it doesn't use egg yolks as a thickening agent. Historically, it was thickened using isinglass. What in the world is isinglass you ask? Well, it's part of the swim bladder of a fish that apparently is good for culinary congealing purposes. Doesn't that sound...delicious. 🤢 Thank heavens that gelatine is a thing. Anyway, you can serve it with caramel sauce, as I did, or with chocolate or berry sauces. It pairs well with pretty much anything from cookies to ice cream. It's the gourmet version of Jell-O and just as easy!
Do you remember that part in the Disney movie Ratatouille where the critic eats the ratatouille and in his head gets transported back to his childhood kitchen? I had a similar experience after taking the first bite. Only instead of going back in my memory, I felt like I was transported to a quaint café somewhere in the countryside of Italy. It is creamy, smooth on the tongue, and not overly sweet. Needless to say, this dessert is a solid 10/10 for our family and I highly recommend it to you. Buon Appetito!
WOULD I MAKE IT AGAIN? A most emphatic and resounding YES!
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