Panna cotta with agar agar
Vegetarian, gluten free, low FODMAP option*This recipe uses Australian cups and measurements. Use ml for international accuracy. Makes 7-9 small panna cotta, mould dependent
Ingredients
- 500 ml (2 cups)* vegetarian thickened cream (see notes)
- 250 ml (1 cup)* full fat milk (regular or lactose free)
- 50-65 g caster sugar according to your sweet tooth, see notes
- 1.5-2.5 g agar agar powder not flakes, see notes
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Very lightly grease the moulds you’ll be using for your panna cotta.
- Combine all the ingredients except for the vanilla and salt in a medium/large pot. Whisk to combine, then place on the smallest hob/burner over a medium-low heat.
- Stir intermittently and continue to cook your cream mixture. You want it to reach a boiling point (vigorous small bubbles on the surface) without burning the mixture or heating it too quickly.
- If the mixture has not reached this point after 10 minutes, turn the heat up a little.
- Once the mixture reaches this point, keep it there for another minute or two.
- Add the vanilla and salt and stir to combine.
- Remove the mixture from the heat and carefully decant into a pouring jug. You can pass it through a sieve if any milk skins have formed.
- Pour the mixture into your prepared moulds and allow them to cool for 10 or so minutes before transferring them to the fridge. Every batch is different, but allow 2-4 hours to cool and set. I recommend making them the night before so you can correct any issues that come up (see the notes below).
- Serve with a sauce of your choosing or plain. Best eaten within a few days.
Notes
- Most thickened creams use gelatin, but I am starting to see more vegetarian varieties available. If you can’t find one, use pouring cream or any cream without thickener. I would recommend using the 2.5g of agar agar if you go this route, to compensate for the lack of other thickeners.
- Add sugar according to your sweet tooth and what you’re topping the panna cotta with. Note that lactose free milk and cream are sweeter than normal versions, so you might add less sugar if you’re using these.
- Agar agar comes in a variety of different forms that are not interchangeable. This recipe uses powder and I have not tested other versions.
- See the body of the post for tips on working with agar agar.
- If your panna cottas have not set after 4 hours in the fridge (or if they have gritty agar agar bits in the bottom) decant them back into the pot and bring to the boil again. Agar agar is very receptive to being re-cooked if needed. It is likely that you didn’t sufficiently boil the mixture in the beginning.
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