Mango Pannacotta

Ingredients

4 teaspoons powdered gelatin


1/4 cup cold water


2 cups cream


1/4 cup sugar

1 cup whole milk 


1 pod of vanilla, split and scraped*


Pinch salt


3 ripe mangoes*

This is a sexy but summery version of the traditional pannacotta made almost blushingly sensuous with helpings of tropical fruit. 

Soften the gelatin in the water for about 5 minutes. Pour the cream into a heavy bottomed saucepan, add the sugar and the vanilla bean and on a low simmer, gently warm the through stirring to help the sugar dissolve and the vanilla to release its aromas. Turn the heat off. Now add the milk and the salt and whisk for another minute. Leave it to cool for about 10 minutes.

Peel two mangoes and cube the flesh into chunks. Place at the bottom of 6 ramekins, small bowls or even clear wine glasses (be careful the mixture is not too hot for the wine glasses though). Now ladle the panna cotta mixture over the mango. Leave in the fridge to chill for about 4 hours or until firm. Garnish with slices of the last mango.

* This recipe works with other fleshy fruit – peaches, apricots, fruit preserves and on its own. You can try substituting vanilla with good quality saffron. Not too much though. A nice variation is to replace one cup of milk with one cup of fruit yoghurt. Skip the vanilla then because its subtlety will be lost in the boisterous fruit yoghurt flavours.