Strawberry and Douglas Fir Panna Cotta Recipe

Texture is a vital part of Paul Welburn's stunning summer dessert, with light foam and creamy panna cotta contrasting gloriously with the crisp shards of strawberry meringue. The strawberry consommé is used in various parts of this recipe's components, so take particular care when preparing this step.

Ingredients

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Imperial

Strawberry consommé

1kg strawberries
50g of sugar

Strawberry meringues

1/2 tsp Hy-foamer
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
25g of icing sugar
12g of egg white powder
10g of freeze-dried strawberries

Compressed strawberries

10 strawberries

Douglas fir panna cotta

125ml of milk
125ml of double cream
25g of Douglas fir pine needles
75g of sugar
250ml of buttermilk
2 gelatine leaves, softened in cold water

Strawberry foam

500g of strawberry purée
150ml of stock syrup
2 gelatine leaves, softened in cold water

To plate

50g of pistachio nuts, finely chopped
8 strawberries, sliced
basil cress

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Food mixer
Silpat mat
Vacuum bag and machine
Gas canister

First make the strawberry consommé. Place the strawberries and sugar into a large bowl and cover with clingfilm. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and leave for 1 hour, until all the juice has been extracted from the strawberries. Pass the strawberry mix through a muslin cloth, being sure to strain as much juice as possible

1kg strawberries
50g of sugar

Next make the strawberry meringues. Put the Hy-foamer, xanthan gum, icing sugar and egg powder into a stand mixer along with 125g of the strawberry consommé and whisk until it forms a thick foam. Spread the meringue mix thinly onto a silpat mat, sprinkle with the freeze dried strawberries and dry in a low oven until crisp

1/2 tsp Hy-foamer
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
25g of icing sugar
12g of egg white powder
10g of freeze-dried strawberries

For the compressed strawberries, cut them in half and transfer to a vacuum bag with 100ml of the consommé. Seal and leave to compress for 1 hour

10 strawberries

Meanwhile, prepare the panna cotta. Bring the milk, cream and douglas fir to the boil, then remove from the heat and leave to cool. Once the mixture has cooled, strain into a bowl and set to one side. Heat the sugar and gelatine leaves with a little of the strained cream until dissolved, then remove from the heat and mix with the buttermilk and remaining cream. Pass through a fine sieve and leave to set in a tray with a depth of 3cm

125ml of milk
125ml of double cream
25g of Douglas fir pine needles
75g of sugar
250ml of buttermilk
2 gelatine leaves, softened in cold water

To make the strawberry foam, warm the stock syrup and dissolve the gelatine in it. Lightly warm the strawberry purée and mix it thoroughly with the stock syrup. Leave the strawberry mixture to chill, then transfer to a gas canister and charge with 2 charges

150ml of stock syrup
2 gelatine leaves, softened in cold water
500g of strawberry purée

To serve, arrange both compressed and fresh strawberries around the plate along with small scoops of the panna cotta. Place shards of meringue in between and pipe on the strawberry foam. Sprinkle over the pistachio nuts, garnish with the basil cress and pour over the remaining strawberry consommé