Passionfruit panna cotta

with oat crumble, meringues, raspberries, petite red sorrel and flowers

Scott Graden, chef/owner of New Scenic Cafe in Duluth, Minnesota shares his stunning passionfruit panna cotta recipe with us.

Yield: four 4oz servings

Oat Crumble:

• 1⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 1 pinch baking soda
• 1⁄4 cup butter
• 1⁄4 cup thick-cut oats

Panna Cotta Mixture:

• 8 oz passionfruit purée
• 1 1⁄2 sheets silver gelatin (or 1⁄2 tbsp powdered gelatin)
• 1 1⁄2 tbsp cold water
• 8 oz heavy cream
• 1⁄3 cup granulated sugar

Other:

• 24 each lemon meringues (see separate recipe)
• 24 each raspberry meringues (see separate recipe)
• 16 each fresh small raspberries
• Petite red sorrel leaves
• Edible micro-flowers or flower petals

Method: Oat Crumble:

• Preheat the oven to 300ºF.
• Mix together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda and place into a food processor.
• Add the butter and pulse until desired size clumps are formed, approximately pea-sized.
• Mix in the oats by hand.
• Spread the mixture on a sheet pan and bake at 300ºF until golden brown. Allow to cool.

Panna Cotta Mixture:

• If the passionfruit purée is frozen, allow it to thaw and warm to room temperature. (Many fresh fruits, especially tropical fruits like passionfruit, contain an enzyme that destroys the gelling
• properties of gelatin. (NB: If you plan to use fresh passionfruit in this recipe, you will need to neutralize the enzyme by heating the fruit above 185°F. Commercial frozen-fruit purées have typically been heat-pasteurized, however, and are ready to use.)
• Cut the silver gelatin into small pieces, and then, in a small bowl, add the gelatin to the cold water. Add one piece of gelatin at a time so that the pieces don’t stick together. Allow the gelatin to “bloom,” or soften, until it is supple and has absorbed almost all of the water.
• Combine the heavy cream and granulated sugar in a sauce pot, and heat them over medium heat, stirring the mixture occasionally until it comes to a low boil. Remove the pot from the heat, and allow the cream and sugar mixture to cool to between 95-105ºF. Use a thermometer to ensure accuracy. (NB: Gelatin begins to degrade if it is exposed over a prolonged period to
• temperatures higher than 105°F, but do not cool the mixture below 95°F or you will need to reheat to melt the gelatin.)
• Add the bloomed gelatin and water to the warm cream and sugar mixture, and stir it until the gelatin has dissolved. Add the passionfruit purée, and stir the mixture thoroughly. If needed, the mixture can be re-warmed gently to keep it liquid.

Assembly:

• Using four 3-4 inch metal entremet rings, stretch a piece of plastic wrap tightly across one side of each ring, and then wrap each one with a rubber band to hold the plastic in place. Set the rings, plastic side down, on a flat, movable surface, such as a baking sheet.
• Sprinkle the oat crumble into each ring, adding just enough to cover the bottom. Pour about 1⁄4 cup of the warm panna cotta mixture into each one, and allow them to rest until the panna cotta has begun to set. This will keep the oat crumble from floating up once more panna cotta is added.
• Add about another 1⁄4 cup of liquid panna cotta mixture to each ring. Transfer to the refrigerator and let sit overnight, or for at least 2 hours.
• When you are ready to serve, pick up a ring, quickly remove the plastic and rubber band, and set the ring on a plate. Gently warm the outside of the ring with a small torch, just enough to melt a thin layer of the panna cotta, and remove the ring. Repeat with the others.
• Using a mix of raspberry and lemon meringues, place them to cover about 80% of the surface of each panna cotta. Fill in the gaps with fresh raspberries. Garnish the top with a few petite red sorrel leaves, and micro flowers or flower petals.

Chef Scott-Graden