Vanilla Panna Cotta with Rhubarb Compote

This creamy, soft panna cotta speckled with vanilla bean pairs perfectly with a tangy sweet rhubarb compote. A simple and easy dessert to put together but one that you won’t forget. Forced rhubarb in it’s beautiful pink hues, needs to be used at every opportunity while it’s in season. A delight to serve at the dinner table.

Ingredients - Serves 3
Rhubarb Compote:
200g forced rhubarb, chopped
small squeeze of lemon juice
75g caster sugar
1/2 tsp cornflour

Vanilla Panna Cotta:
250ml double cream
50ml whole milk
30g caster sugar
1/2 vanilla bean
1 gelatin leaf (professional grade - gold)

Method
Start with the rhubarb compote: place all of the ingredients into a saucepan, apart from the cornflour. Cook on medium heat until the rhubarb begins to soften and some of it’s liquid has released. Continue to simmer the compote until the rhubarb has broken down fully. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornflour and a few tbsp of compote until smooth. Pour this back into the compote and let it bubble for a further 30 seconds to cook out the cornflour. Pour the compote into a container, cover and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours - until completely cold.

For the Panna Cotta: fill a bowl with cold water and submerge the gelatin leaf and leave to soften completely. Place the milk and sugar into a saucepan. Split the vanilla pod in half lengthways with a sharp knife and scrape out the vanilla bean. Place it into the saucepan along with the scraped pod. Heat the milk until it just comes to a light simmer. Take off the heat and remove the vanilla pod. Squeeze it out into the milk to ensure you get all of the flavour out. Lift the gelatin leaf from the water and squeeze out the excess water. Place the gelatin into the warm milk and stir to dissolve. Pour in the cold double cream while whisking to combine. Pour the panna cotta into a bowl and cover with clingfilm, making sure it isn’t touching the surface of the panna cotta. Leave to set for at least 6 hours or overnight.

To serve; place a dessert spoon into a jug of boiling water. Lightly dry off the spoon before using it to scoop out a large piece of panna cotta and flop it down onto a plate or bowl. Spoon a dollop of the rhubarb compote on the side and enjoy. This can be kept for up to 3 days in the fridge.