Watermelon and caraway panna cotta
Rich, creamy classic panna cotta is infused with the bittersweet sharpness of carraway. It’s served with a vibrant watermelon sauce and pickled watermelon rind to cut the sweetness.
YIELDS
4
Ingredients
Panna Cotta
- 2 gelatin sheets, soaked in water to bloom
- 2 cups (470 ml) whipping cream
- 1 vanilla bean
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) toasted caraway seeds
- 2 ounces (57 g) sugar
Pickled Watermelon Rind
- 1/2 watermelon, pink flesh removed and reserved, see below
- 1 cup (240 ml) apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) sugar
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped candied ginger
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) salt
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pickling spice
Watermelon Sauce
- 18 ounces (511 g) reserved watermelon flesh, see above
- 4 ounces (113 g) sugar
- 2 lemons, juice
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) water
Directions
Panna Cotta
- Soak the gelatin in a bowl with cold water for three to five minutes.
- Bring whipping cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Cut the vanilla bean along its length and remove the seeds by scraping with the tip of a knife, then add seeds and the scraped bean husk and caraway seeds to the heavy cream, and stir to incorporate.
- Add sugar to the saucepan with the cream and simmer over low heat, without boiling for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn off the heat.
- Strain hot cream into a mixing bowl, squeeze and add the softened gelatin, whisking to incorporate.
- Discard the vanilla husk and caraway seeds
- Allow cooling at room temperature for 30 minutes before pouring into jars or ramekins. This is not a free-standing panna cotta; it must be served in a jar or vessel.
- Transfer Panna cottas to the refrigerator to set completely, 12 to 24 hours.
Pickled Watermelon Rind
- Using a sharp peeler, remove the green skin of the watermelon rind and discard. You should now have a primarily white rind, with a bit of pink/red on the interior.
- Cut rind into half-inch cubes
- In a small saucepan set over medium-high heat, combine the apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, candied ginger, salt, and pickling spice. Boil for one minute.
- Carefully add the rind to the boiling liquid and cook for one minute.
- Remove the pan from the heat and cool for 30 minutes.
- Transfer the rind to a jar, cover with pickling liquid and leave at room temperature for one and a half hours.
- Refrigerate until needed.
Watermelon Sauce
- Combine the watermelon, sugar, and lemon in a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan.
- Bring a gentle simmer over medium heat, and cook for five minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water. Stir the mixture well with a fork, ensuring there are no lumps.
- Add the cornstarch mixture to the saucepan. Mix well. Cook for another 30 seconds.
- Strain into a container and refrigerate to cool completely.
Serve
- Serve the Panna Cotta with Pickled Watermelon Rind and Watermelon Sauce. Enjoy!
