VERBENA CREAM & WORCESTERBERRY PANNA COTTA WITH ELLIOT HASHTROUDI

A super balanced dessert, the sharp, earthy Worcesterberries against a cooling, verbena scented cream. This is the perfect dish, for a hot summer's day.

Oli has been fine tuning his berry growing craft since the farm's inception 8 years ago, and these Worcesterberries are just one of the many coming out of his 11 acre organic plot. These firm fruits are hand picked in their prime from the rows of spiny bushes, grown on a sunlit hillside. A lesser known hybrid variety between a gooseberry and a blackcurrant, they have a rich berry-like depth, alongside a greener, sweeter gooseberry quality. Macerated down with sugar and a sweet wine, their juice a tangy hit for anything creamy or pastry based.

VERBENA CREAM & WORCESTERBERRY PANNA COTTA

INGREDIENTS

Panna Cotta

Gelatine leaves - 2.5 sheets
Verbena - 2 bunches
Double cream - 600ml
Caster sugar - 75g
Whole milk - 200ml

Macerated Worcesterberries

Worcesterberries - 250g
Caster sugar - 50g
Cerro Las Monjas wine or port - 300ml
Pinch of salt

METHOD

1. Over a low heat infuse 2 bunches of Verbena with 600ml Double cream, 75g caster Sugar, 200ml whole Milk.

2. After 20mins or so taste the cream to see if the Verbena fragrance is present or if it needs a longer infusion.

3. The cream will need to reach 70C or it wont set properly.

4. Strain the mixture, whisk in the squeezed out gelatine and pour into the mould.

5. Leave to set in the fridge for 5 hours minimum.

While the creams set:

1. Heat a handful of sugar with 300ml Cerro Las Monjas wine or Port. Add a pinch of salt.

2. Reduce until sticky and sweet. Add a punnet of Worcesterberries to a slightly hot wine mixture to macerate the berries. They shouldn't burst but be full of excitement.

3. Allow to cool.

To assemble:

1. Use either hot water or a torch to ease the cream out of the mould onto a bowl.

2. Place the worcester berries in their sweet wine syrup aside the cream.

3. Finish the Worcester berries with some edible flower petals if you have them, i’ve used cornflower in this recipe.