Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Grape Syrup
Simple Recipes Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian Recipes Desserts Italian Gluten-Free Recipes Fruits
Dessert inspired by a visit to Bologna. In the Emilia-Romagna region (whose capital is Bologna), they produce, among other things, the famous Modena balsamic vinegar. Balsamic vinegar is made from grape must cooked down to a syrup and left to ferment in wooden barrels for at least several months. That grape must syrup from the beginning is sometimes bottled before fermentation and used in Italian cuisine as a sauce for cheeses, desserts, ice cream, and meat. Italians generically call this syrup mosto cotto. Mosto cotto produced in Emilia-Romagna is called saba. Saba is made from Trebbiano and Lambrusco grape must, grapes specific to the region.
Since my visit to Bologna happened right before the grape harvest, I thought I would make my own mosto cotto from Salaj. Generally it's best to use must from black grapes, but my grandmother's must also contains some white grapes. What's important is that the must be aromatic and sweet, enjoyable to drink. After reduction you'll get a syrup with an intense taste of raisins and dried plums and... perhaps other aromas depending on your grape variety. The syrup has an intense taste and is very sweet (naturally sweet!), which is why I thought it fitting to serve it with another Italian dessert (panna cotta) made with buttermilk, to balance its sweetness with the acidity of the milk.
With this dessert I'm celebrating one week gluten-free today. I imposed a gluten-free diet on myself for a few weeks and so far it hasn't been bad at all, as I thought it would be. I was eating quite a lot of bread and wanted to see if it was addiction or just an obsession in my head that I can't feel full without it. After one week I'd say it's just a habit, but we'll see...
Ingredients
300ml buttermilk
200ml heavy whipping cream (35% fat)
4g unflavored gelatin
30ml water
40g sugar
1 packet bourbon vanilla sugar
1 pinch salt
Grape Must Syrup (mosto cotto)
300ml fresh black grape juice (must)
a few black grapes
1 pinch ground anise (or 1 star anise)
Servings: 3
How to prepare buttermilk panna cotta with grape syrup
- Put water in a small cup and sprinkle the gelatin on top. Let it bloom.
- Put the cream, sugar, and salt in a small pot. Heat and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove the pot from heat and add the gelatin. Stir for 1-2 minutes to make sure the gelatin is completely melted and incorporated.
- Pour this mixture over the buttermilk placed in a vessel with a spout (it will be easier to portion into molds). Mix well, then let it cool for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Pour the panna cotta into 3 molds (teacups/coffee cups, jars, cups, or molds you can unmold from at the end) lightly greased with oil.
- Cover the molds with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours until the panna cotta is set.
- Bring the grape must to a boil and simmer over medium heat. At first the must will foam brown - skim it with a spoon and discard. Continue cooking until you have a light syrup, specifically the must will reduce to just over 1/3 (you should have less than 100ml at the end; it takes almost 20 minutes in a not-too-wide pot; the wider the pot, the faster it will reduce). Strain the syrup through cheesecloth. Add the ground anise and grape berries to the hot syrup and cover the pot, letting it cool completely. Store in the refrigerator.
- To serve, pour 2-3 tablespoons of syrup and grapes over the panna cotta. If desired, you can unmold the panna cotta onto a plate (release the edges with a knife, then dip the bottom of the mold in hot water for a few seconds to release more easily).
