Fresh berries at the height of ripeness are delicious all on their own. Put them in a dessert and they are nothing short of sublime. You must take care, though, not to overwhelm the fruit's perfect sweet- ness. A delicate panna cotta—or as we call it in France, a blanc-manger—is the perfect vehicle. This molded dessert is usually made with milk or cream and sugar and thickened with gelatin or corn- starch. The recipe goes back to the Middle Ages and has variations around the world, from Turkish muhallebi to Bavarian cream.
My mother and sister love to make blanc-manger; their version contains vanilla and lemon zest. In this recipe, yogurt adds tang and creaminess, while a ginger cookie serves as a spicy and crunchy base. In another nod to the season, the milk is infused with basil, an herb I often use in desserts in place of mint. The recipe is as easy as pie—actually, much easier. The art of panna cotta is in the unmold- ing. Just warm the sides of the ramekin with a little warm water and the dessert should slide smoothly into place.
BASIL YOGURT PANNA COTTA WITH RASPBERRIES AND GINGER
Serves 6
For the raspberry sauce:
-2 cups fresh raspberries
-2 T water
-2 T sugar
For the panna cotta:
-1 packet unflavored gelatin
-1⁄3 cup cold water
-2⁄3 cup whole milk
-1⁄3 cup heavy cream
-1⁄2 cup sugar
-1 bunch basil, small leaves picked and set aside
-2 cups plain yogurt
-Zest of 1 lemon
For the ginger cookie base:
-3⁄4 cup sugar
-1⁄2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
-1 egg
-1⁄2 tsp. vanilla extract
-2 T freshly grated ginger
-2 cups flour
-1⁄4 tsp. baking soda
-Pinch of salt
Directions:
In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of raspberries with the water and sugar and set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat, add the remaining cup raspberries, and stir just enough to coat them. Strain the sauce into a small bowl and set both raspberries and sauce aside to cool.
To prepare the panna cotta, sprinkle the gelatin into the water and let stand so that the gelatin blooms, about 2 minutes. In a medium saucepan over low heat, warm the milk, cream, sugar, and basil bunch until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Whisk in the gelatin and then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large mixing bowl. Add the yogurt and lemon zest and whisk to combine.
Set 6 medium ramekins or small bowls on a flat tray. Pour in the yogurt mixture, leaving about 1⁄2′′ at the top. Top each ramekin with several raspberries and transfer to the refrigerator to set for about 4 hours. This can be done up to 2 days in advance.
To make the ginger cookies, preheat the oven to 325°F. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the sugar and butter until it is light and very fluffy. Replace the whisk with the paddle attachment. Add the egg, vanilla, and grated ginger and stir just to combine. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix the dough until just combined.
Remove the dough from the bowl, cover it in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Roll out the dough to a 1⁄2′′ thickness and, using a ramekin or cookie cutter, cut out 6 circles. Place them on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until cookies are golden. Let cool completely.
Before serving, warm the sides of each ramekin under hot running water. To serve, place a cookie on top of each ramekin, and put a small plate on top. Flip each quickly to unmold the panna cotta. Garnish the plates with the remaining raspberries, raspberry sauce, and small basil leaves.
What to drink:
"This panna cotta has both sweet and sour components, as well as a spicy-green note from the basil," says Raj Vaidya, head sommelier at New York's Daniel restaurant. "To highlight these flavors, I'd choose a slightly off-dry wine, such as the St. Aldegunder Himmelreich Feinherb 2013 ($27), a Kabinett Riesling from Ulrich Stein in the Mosel valley." As an alternative, he suggests François Pinon's Vouvray Pétillant Brut ($22). "It's a fresh Chenin Blanc sparkling wine with great aromas of red fruits and green herbs."
