Elderflower panna cotta with wild strawberry sorbet, yoghurt crumble and elderflower vinegar granita

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This elderflower and strawberry dessert combines a panna cotta, sorbet and granita in one beautifully balanced bowl. It might look technical but all the elements can be prepared in advance, meaning you can simply assemble the dish before serving. It's a wonderful celebration of Britain's short elderflower and wild strawberry season and boasts a stunning combination of textures.

First published in 2019

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Elderflower panna cotta

  • 350ml of double cream
  • 3 tbsp of granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp elderflower, dried
  • 1 1/2 gelatine leaves
  • 3 tbsp of whole milk

Elderflower vinegar granita

  • 600ml of water
  • 75g of liquid glucose
  • 125g of trimoline
  • 0.5g of gellan gum
  • 75ml of elderflower vinegar

Wild strawberry sorbet

Yoghurt crumble

Method

1
For the panna cotta, combine the cream, sugar and elderflower in a heavy-based saucepan and bring to a simmer (but do not allow to boil). Remove from the heat and allow to infuse, ideally for an hour or two. Once you are happy with the flavour, pass through a fine sieve and into a bowl
  • 350ml of double cream
  • 3 tbsp of granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp elderflower
2
Add the gelatine to a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes to soak and soften. Meanwhile, warm the milk in a small saucepan. When the gelatine has softened, drain and stir into the milk to dissolve. Once dissolved, pour the mixture into the elderflower-infused cream and stir well
  • 1 1/2 gelatine leaves
  • 3 tbsp of whole milk
3
Pour the panna cotta mixture into your serving bowls or ramekins and briefly flash the top with a blowtorch to remove any bubbles on top. Place completely level in a fridge and chill for 4-6 hours (or overnight)
4
For the sorbet, gently warm the wild strawberry purée in a saucepan. In a separate saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil and dissolve the sugar. Pour this syrup into the puree and mix well. Balance the flavour with a little lime juice and allow to cool
5
Transfer the wild strawberry mixture to an ice cream machine and churn until frozen. Keep in the freezer until ready to serve
6
Preheat an oven to 125ºC/gas mark 1/2. Mix all the dry ingredients for the yoghurt crumble together, then add the melted butter and combine until you have a crumble-like texture. Spread the crumble mixture evenly over a flat tray lined with greaseproof paper and bake for 5 minutes
7
Remove from the oven, turn the mixture then return to the oven. Repeat this every 5 minutes for approximately 20-25 minutes until the mix is fully cooked but with no colour. Leave to cool and store in an airtight container
8
To make the elderflower vinegar granita, add 200ml of the water, the glucose and the trimoline to one saucepan and bring the mixture to 65ºC. Add 200ml of the water and the gellan gum to another saucepan and bring to the boil. Finally, add the final 200ml of water and the elderflower vinegar to a third saucepan and bring the mixture to 70ºC
  • 600ml of water
  • 75g of liquid glucose
  • 125g of trimoline
  • 0.5g of gellan gum
  • 75ml of elderflower vinegar
9
Once all three are ready, combine them together and transfer to a wide container suitable for freezing. You’ll need a large, wide surface to scrape the granita up later, so plan ahead with your choice of container. Freeze until solid, although it will always have a slight jelly-like texture
10
Once all the elements of this dessert are prepared and chilled, it is ready to serve. Take the panna cottas out of the fridge and spoon a good layer of crumble on top of each panna cotta. Follow with a rocher or spoonful of wild strawberry sorbet in the centre. Take the granita out of the freezer and use a fork to scrape it up into a crushed ice texture. Add a generous tablespoon of the granita around the sorbet. Finally, garnish with fresh elderflowers and serve
First published in 2019

Josh Overington opened Le Cochon Aveugle in York with just £800 in the bank, bringing exciting modern French cooking to the city of York and building his platform as a chef. Today, he puts his elegant spin on traditional Yorkshire cooking at his Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant Mýse.

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