A perfect panna cotta (''cooked cream'' in Italian) should be just firm enough to hold together, but soft and creamy enough to melt in the mouth. The secret of such a texture is the correct dosage of gelatine.
Soaking the gelatine in ice-cold water before use ensures that it will be very soft but will not dissolve. Cold water hydrates the protein network of the gelatine so that it dissolves quickly and evenly.
If you were to put a sheet of gelatine straight into hot liquid, you would get a lumpy texture. When draining the gelatine, squeeze out as much water as possible - any excess water will affect the ratio of gelatine to liquid.
Using gelatine sheets, as opposed to gelatine powder, gives the panna cotta a clearer appearance. More tips on how to make a panna cotta that is sure to succeed can be found here.
Panna cotta is a dessert where the proportions of cream, milk, sugar and gelatine remain the same, but ginger, star anise, fruit toppings or other favourite flavours can be added between the cream. We have paired the panna cotta this time with a cherry and ginger sauce.