Recipe: St Germain Panna Cotta with Lime Pisco Granita

Do the wobble baby!

St Germaine Panna Cotta With Lime Pisco Granita

Ever since we first tasted St Germain with its delicate, sweet and floral flavour, we have taken pleasure in discovereing new cocktails and conconctions containing the Elderflower Liqeur.  There are a number of cocktail suggestions on the St Germain web site, one of them being “Cuzco Fizz” which combines the liqueur with lime and pisco.   Keith’s parents spend our winter months on their farm in Peru, just south of Lima.  They have been cultivating grapes which have been pressed, fermented and distilled to create their own pisco. A bottle of their finest was flown back and hand delivered on their last visit to Wennie towers in March. Keith had a brainwave that the flavours could be applied and work well as a summer dessert.  This creation turned out to be a recent hit when served at lunch with friends.  The cool, refreshing granita cleanses the palate and lightens the creamy panna cotta. Plus there is the sexy, famed wobble to impress your guest.

Published: August 15, 2011

Prep time: 30 min

Total time: 2 hour 30 min

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

Panna Cotta

• Single cream: 250ml
• Milk: 180ml
• Vanilla pod: 1
• St Germain Liqueur: 150ml
• Golden caster sugar: 40g
• Gelatine granules: 1 sachet
• Cold water: 2 tablespoons
• Summer berries, we served red currants

Lime Granita

• Lime juice: 50ml
• Lime zest: 2 tbsp
• Granualted white sugar: 40g
• Water: 75ml
• Pisco: 30ml 
• Mint leaves to garnish (optional)

Method:

To make the panna cotta

1. Mix the cream and milk together into a saucepan.
2. Split the vanilla pod lengthways with a sharp knife and scrape all the seeds into the cream and milk mixture. Add the empty pod for extra flavour.
3. Add the sugar into the milk and cream and heat gently unitl it has all dissolved. Do NOT boil!
4. Empty the sachet of gelatine granules into a large bowl, pour over the cold water and leave for 2 minutes.
5. Pour the hot cream mixture and the elderflower liqueur over the swollen gelatine granules stirring thoroughly until evenly mixed.
6. Take 8 small pudding dishes and use a paper towel to rub a little vegetable oil (or any other flavourless oil) around the inside. This will help when coming to turning out and serving.
7. Pour the panna cotta mixture into the small pudding dishes and leave to set in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

To make the pisco lime granita

1. Dissolve the sugar and water together in a pan over a medium heat.
2. Add the lime juice and zest and leave to cool.
3. Add the pisco and pour onto a shallow-rimmed baking tray and leave in the freezer.
4. Every thirty minutes use a fork to break the mixture into a slush.
5. The granita will take about 2 hours to get to the correct consistency which should be an icy slush similar to a simple sorbet.

To serve, immerse the pudding dish into hot water for no more than thirty seconds and turn onto a plate. You may run a sharp knife around the edge to help persuade it out. Serve the granita in a shot glass garnished with a mint leaf.  Scoop Summer berries onto the plate.

Our recipe will make enough granita for more than just the one serving.  Transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer.

There are still hopefully two whole weeks of summer left, so if you can muster an excuse to have a go at making this dessert, you will not be disappointed.  Did we mention that you can also serve the granita on its own?  Alternately, serve as a cocktail with a prosecco top.

By Keith and Lolli

Comments

[Selina]

Me and my hubby absolutely love St Germain, I first discovered it at the Foodies Festival in London and purchased a bottle there! When mixed with white wine and fruit its a gorgeous White Sangria, you should try it! I will definetly look to try out some recipes with it :)

[Tori@ eat-tori]

My weekend isn't going to be complete without tracking down some of this liqueur. Love Elderflower- it's usually been my safe, no booze option in a cordial with sparkling water. I think I'm going to like the boozy version even better.