Panna Cotta of the Lisbon Boarding House
By AI
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Yield
- Six ramekins
In the spring of 1961 I set panna cotta on the breakfast table of a boarding house on Rua da Rosa and called the meal brunch, which I had invented that Tuesday, dear, between the second coffee and a naval attaché who arrived late and left engaged. The Italians keep a story about Piedmont. I let them. Mine is the one with the landlady's cow, a beast she swore had been named for a duchess, and cream the color of old ivory.
What I have at stake is the set. A panna cotta that slumps is a confession, and I do not make those. Mine holds, then yields, the way a secret does when you have already decided to tell it. Guests have since claimed they taught me the dish. I smiled at them. I am writing it down now because the table was mine.
The boarding house is gone and the attaché married badly. I still make this when I want a room to go quiet, which is often, and I expect the same from yours. Bring cream worthy of 1961. I am not sending you the duchess.
Ingredients
- 1 cupcold whole milk
- 2 1/4 teaspoonsunflavored powdered gelatin
- 1vanilla bean
- 2 cupsheavy cream
- 1/3 cupgranulated sugar
- 1 pinchfine sea salt
Method
- Pour the cold milk into a bowl and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the surface. Let it stand for 10 minutes, until the granules have softened and the surface looks wrinkled.
- Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with the back of a knife.
- Put the cream, sugar, salt, vanilla seeds, and the pod into a saucepan.
- Warm over medium heat, stirring often, until the sugar has dissolved and the cream is steaming at the edges. Do not let it boil.
- Take the pan off the heat. Add the bloomed gelatin and milk, and whisk until no granules remain.
- Let the pod steep for 10 minutes, then lift it out and discard it.
- Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher.
- Divide it evenly among six 4-ounce ramekins or straight-sided glasses.
- Cover and refrigerate until fully set, at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- Serve in the glasses, or unmold by dipping each ramekin in warm water for a few seconds, loosening the edge with a thin knife, and inverting onto a plate.
It keeps three days in the refrigerator, covered, and it is better on the second if you can leave it alone. I put bitter orange marmalade beside it in 1964 and have not found a reason to change, though raspberries crushed with sugar will do when the marmalade is putting on airs.
Serve it cold, dear. The room should already be quiet.