Rosehip and Honey Pannacotta – A Conspiracy Theory

Pin It When I travel, I love to taste local dishes on the grounds that if you order food in its natural environment, it is produced by people who love the dish and who know how it should taste.

Sometimes life and waiters conspire against me.

Happiness is... Rosehip and Honey Pannacotta

In the States, I have tried repeatedly to taste an authentic American cornbread. On each occasion, my order has been misheard (perhaps the Irish accent – “so charming honey”, but clearly unintelligible) or “the kitchen’s just out”.

If pannacotta was a flower it would be sweetpea

The same goes for Pannacotta. I have tried in Venice. I have tried in Verona. I have even tried several Italian restaurants in Ireland where surely they’d be used to the accent. On each occasion I have been brought a delicious dessert but not Pannacotta. Am I saying it wrong? Pah-nah-cot-ah?  PAHna COHtah? PannaCOTTa?

Straight from the hedgerows ;-)

This has happened so often that I have evolved a theory: Some people closely guard the location of their favourite restaurant in case it gets too popular... Perhaps, cornbread and Pannacotta are just too good to share.

Clearly, I am just going to have to make my own to find out.

For 6 servings you will need...

...to lightly oil 6 ramekins, cups or moulds with a flavourless oil

4 sheets of gelatine

250mls double (heavy) cream

300mls Greek yoghurt

60g runny honey

50mls rosehip syrup or cordial (undiluted)

Rosehip and Honey Dressing

2 tablespoons runny honey

1 tablespoon rosehip syrup or cordial (undiluted)

A selection of fresh berries to serve

1                    Place the gelatine in a bowl of cold water and leave it for about 5 minutes to soften.

2                    Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan heat the cream and honey together until just simmering at the edges. Remove from the heat.

3                    Drain off the water from the gelatine and squeeze out any excess. Replace in the empty bowl and add a little of the hot cream mixture. Stir together until the gelatine has dissolved completely. Pour the gelatine mixture into the saucepan and stir to disperse it through the liquid. Add in the Greek yoghurt and stir the mixture with a whisk until the yoghurt has blended smoothly into the liquid. Don’t go too crazy with the whisk. You don’t want to incorporate loads of bubbles into the mixture.

4                    Finally, stir in the rosehip cordial or syrup until dispersed through the mixture. Divide between the oiled containers. Cover with cling film and refrigerate until set (at least 6 hours – or overnight if possible).

5                    Just before serving, make the Rosehip and Honey Dressing by mixing together the honey and syrup/cordial until combined.

6                    To remove the Pannacotta from each container, sit them briefly into hot water until they loosen at the edges, then cover with a serving plate and flip over. If Murphy’s Law doesn’t come into play, you’ll end up with a perfect Pannacotta ready to be surrounded by fresh berries and drizzled with Rosehip and Honey Dressing.

Make it the day before for a super-easy delightful dessert

(If Murphy’s Law does come into play, or you get distracted, it could end up on the floor...)

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