This is a very satisfying dessert and should be enjoyed with a wee glass of late harvest riesling.

Recipe: Ruth Pretty Photo: Carolyn Robertson

INGREDIENTS

baking spray
400ml coconut cream (I use the Kara brand)
4 plus ¾ level teaspoons gelatine powder
400ml cream
80g caster sugar
6 kaffir lime leaves, roughly cut with scisssors

METHOD

Use baking spray to lightly grease 8 x ½ cup-capacity plastic or metal dariole moulds, china or metal ramekins. Place ½ cup of coconut cream in a bowl and sprinkle with gelatine. Stir together and leave for 3-4 minutes or until gelatine has softened and formed a ‘sponge’.

Place remaining coconut cream, cream, sugar and kaffir lime leaves into a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir and bring to the boil, then remove from heat. Wait 2 minutes then add the softened gelatine. Stir gently until gelatine has dissolved.

Strain the mixture though a fine sieve into a bowl, then gently so as not to create bubbles, pour into the prepared moulds or ramekins. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until set, or for up to 2 days.

To turn out: slip the blade of a small palette knife or table knife down one side of panna cotta until blade reaches the base of mould.

Slightly slip the blade between base and bottom of panna cotta to release the vacuum. Unmould panna cottas onto serving plates. Serves 8

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Citrus Salad with Passionfruit & Mint

INGREDIENTS

4 oranges
2 grapefruit
4 Meyer lemons
2 Ruby Pink grapefruit, if available
4 lemonades, if available
4-8 mandarins, peeled and segmented
½ cup bottled passionfruit syrup, with seeds in
8 mint leaves, thinly sliced
8 mint sprigs

METHOD

Trim top and bottom off fruit (except mandarins) using a small serrated knife. Place bottom side of each fruit onto a chopping board and remove peel with pith as top-to-bottom strips.

Segment peeled fruit by placing into one hand set over a bowl to capture the juice. Using a small serrated knife cut segments between the membranes. Squeeze the leftover ‘frame’ into the bowl before discarding it.

Add the mandarin segments and passionfruit syrup and stir gently. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to a day. Add sliced mint just before serving and garnish with mint sprigs. Serves 8

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