Disclaimer- After reading this recipe you might experience a momentary state of shock.
You might also wonder what went wrong for this sugar shaming, gluten hating woman to make this recipe. Well… I fall off the wagon once in a while. It makes my getting back to the journey of clean eating and healthy living all the more challenging and exciting. Needless to say, when I do fall off the wagon, I run straight for sugar. Now about this recipe – the reason why I love this recipe and I thought it was worth sharing with my perfect readers (yes you) is because, it is one of my culinary escapades that ended well. This recipe is a glorious wedding between an opulent Italian pudding and a very humble yet delicious Thai custard. To enrich this celebration is the King of all fruits -the wonderfully delicious Mango. This dessert is so simple to make there is no way you can mess it up. Italian Panna Cotta is made with heavy cream, milk, and gelatin; usually topped off with some berry compote, chocolate or caramel. For this recipe, I have used Pandan leaves instead of vanilla extract as the aromatic and replaced cream with coconut milk. Pandan leaves, just like bay leaves, are very popular in Southeast Asia. They are used in almost every Thai dessert. It has an alluring fragrance of a wild flower, a little nutty, and mildly sweet. It is a variety of screwpine and it’s called Bai Toey Hom in Thai. You are very welcome for the unsolicited botany and language lesson. The pleasure surely was all mine! You will also notice that I used a significant amount of salt which is quite unusual for a dessert. This is to cut some of that sweetness off the condensed milk, but I also realized that the salt enhances the nuttiness of the coconut milk and the Pandan leaves. The major challenge that I face every time I am working with condensed milk is, I cannot keep it professional. My mind seems to think it is ok to lick everything from a spoon to a spatula, or anything else in the vicinity of the condensed milk. If you don’t have that problem, you will be able to successfully make this recipe in a timely fashion. If you have that problem, you were warned.
Serving: 6 to 8 (depending on the serving dish)
INGREDIENTS
- Coconut milk – 2 cans (13.66 oz. can) about 3 ½ cup
- Sweetened condensed milk or coconut condensed milk – 1 can (14. Oz. can) 1 ¾ cup
- Unflavored gelatin or agar agar – 1 tablespoon or 1 packet
- • Mango – 2 ripe, medium
- • Pandan leaf – 1, washed and cut into 2 inch pieces
- • Salt – 3/4 teaspoon
DIRECTIONS
Making the Panna Cotta
- In a sauce pan add the Pandan leaf. Then pour 1½ can of coconut milk and the can of condensed milk.
- Mix the concoction with a balloon whisk until the condensed milk mixes with the coconut milk.
- Set the heat on medium and let it simmer for 13 to 15 minutes. Then let it sit for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl or extra-large measuring cup add your gelatin with the rest of the coconut milk and let it sit for 2 minutes.
- Then add the warm mixture of coconut and condensed milk into into the mixing bowl/ measuring cup. Whisk until all combined.
- Strain the mixture into ramekins or serving bowls of your choice, cover each bowl or ramekin with cling wrap.
You can serve this recipe in two different ways; Freeze and flip method or the Cool and serve method. - Peel and dice half a mango into little pieces and puree the rest. To puree the mango just add the mango pieces into blender and blend it until it turns into a smooth paste.
Serving the Panna Cotta
- Freeze and flip method (how this was served):
This process can be a long and intimidating adventure, but if you are out there to impress someone, it’s worth the work. Freeze the ramekin or the bowl filled with the mixture for about 3 hours. Make sure to check if the ramekins or bowls are freezable or else they may crack. After the Pana Cotta is frozen remove it from the freezer and cover the bottom of the ramekin with a hot towel for about 2 minutes. You can wet a hand towel and microwave it or run hot water on the towel and squeeze the excess water out. Ensure that the hot water is at the temperature your hand can tolerate. Please use caution not to burn yourself. Meanwhile, pour some of the mango puree onto the serving plate. By now the Panna Cotta should be ready to be plated. With the help of a butter knife slide the Panna Cotta and gently place it over the pureed mango. Usually when I when I flip the bowl onto the plate, the Panna Cotta comes right off. Let it thaw for about an hour at room temperature, or leave it covered in the refrigerator for about 2 to 3 hours. Garnish with the chopped mangoes on top. - Cool and serve method:
Usually Panna Cotta is served this way and this is the simplest, yet elegant, way to serve. Pour the mixture into see through serving bowls or cocktail glasses. Cover each glass or bowl with cling wrap and let it set in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours. Just before serving, top it off with the pureed and chopped mangoes.
NOTES
- Coconut milk: Make sure to use regular coconut milk. Light or diet coconut milk will not work for this recipe.
- Gelatin: If you do not wish to use gelatin, it can be replaced with agar-agar (vegan). However, agar-agar may require a different method of cooking. So be sure to read the instruction carefully. The quantity of agar-agar should be the same as gelatin.
