Monday, August 25, 2008

Sake panna cotta

Sake panna cotta

My dear and sweet friend Clarice is hosting a special event to celebrate 100 years of Japanese Immigration in Brazil. She is a Brazilian of Japanese ascendancy and has been living in Japan for almost 2 decades now.

evento Clarice

The event is about cooking or baking with Japanese ingredients. I thought about so many different recipes, but ended up choosing this one – all I did was use sake instead of grappa. It was my first time making a panna cotta and I was pleased with the result – the sake flavor is very subtle and the cooked apples and syrup compliment it beautifully.

Clarice, darling, I hope you like my entry! It took me a while to post it because I wanted to make it in my brand new kitchen. :)

Sake panna cotta

Sake panna cotta
adapted from Australian Gourmet Traveller

300ml double cream
300ml pouring cream
110g caster sugar
Zest of 1 lemon, removed with a peeler
60ml sake
2½ leaves of gelatin (titanium strength)*, softened in cold water

Sake apples:
2 pink lady apples, cored and cut into thin wedges – I used Gala apples
juice of 1 lemon
165g caster sugar
grated zest of ½ lemon
12 cloves
125ml sake

Heat creams, caster sugar, lemon zest and half the sake and stir over low heat until combined (4-5 minutes). Increase heat to medium and cook gently until mixture comes to the boil (4-5 minutes). Squeeze excess water from gelatin, add to cream mixture and stir to dissolve, remove from heat and cool to blood temperature. Strain, add remaining sake, stir and pour into six ½-cup-capacity dariole moulds rinsed with water. Refrigerate overnight or until set.

For sake apples, combine apples and lemon juice in a bowl and set aside. Heat sugar, lemon zest, cloves and ¾ cup water in a saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat, reduce heat to low and simmer gently until reduced to ¾ cup (8-10 minutes). Drain apples, reserving liquid, add apples and half the sake to sugar syrup, return to the boil over medium-high heat, then simmer very gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender and translucent (35-40 minutes), add reserved lemon juice and remaining sake and cook until syrupy (8-10 minutes). Cool to room temperature.

To serve, briefly dip panna cotta moulds into boiling water and invert onto serving plates. Serve with sake apples to the side, drizzled with extra syrup.

* I had no idea of kind of gelatin this was, so I used 6 leaves of regular gelatin. I think I could have done with 5.

Serves 6

Sake panna cotta

35 comments:

  1. Oh, wow! How absolutely perfect! :D I've never had booze in panna cotta before (hmm... Actually I dunno what sake tastes like! Crime, I know!). I've never had grappa either! But I just know I'd try it if it was presented this way ;)

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  2. This is very creative Patricia! Nice touch to use the sake..and perfect for the Japan/Brazil celebrations.

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  3. My panna cotta never comes out flawlessly, so I'm green with envy at how perfect yours looks! I guess your new kitchen has come with its own kitchen goddess, looking over your shoulder!

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  4. That's just prefect ! I would eat it right now. I would never think about Sake to flavor, good idea !

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  5. That's so cool! I love the unique combination!

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  6. This is seriously perfect. What a wonderful multicultural dessert. One of my mom's uncles made his way from Okinawa, Japan to Bolivia many years ago!

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  7. I wish every Japanese restaurant would add this to their menu!! It looks so cool and delicious, wish I could dip a spoon in.

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  8. Still have never made panna cotta. The list keeps growing -- and it will continue to grow each time I see something as beautiful as this.

    Do we get to see the new kitchen? :)

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  9. This sounds wonderful...though I don't like the taste of sake or panna cotta...maybe the sum of the parts is yummier? :) The shape of your panna cotta is absolutely divine.

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  10. That looks incredible Patricia! I love the toffee drizzle on the sake apples too. It looks so luscious! :)

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  11. Now there is a flavor I would not have thought of. Looks good.

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  12. Oh Patricia, that looks wonderful! What an interesting recipe too! I adore panna cotta. This is definitely one to bookmark!

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  13. How provocative and stunning -- I haven't seen sake used in this sort of way and find it absolutely amazing. I bet it blends nicely with the sweetness of the cream and apples. Super job!

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  14. Lovely! The pictures are gorgeous.

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  15. This is a delight. The apples are a nice touch.

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  16. What an interesting flavour combination, Patricia!!

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  17. patricia this is a wonderful dessert. such an unusual combination. i will have to give this a try :)

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  18. This looks great. I'm not usually a fan of panna cotta, but I love the creativity of substituting sake!

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  19. That looks absolutely luscious! The panna cotta looks so creamy and I can't get over the color of those apples, so beautiful!

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  20. I love this idea! Sake has such an interesting flavor, so I can't wait to try and see how it tastes as part of a dessert!

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  21. I have never made a panna cotta, and I am sure mine would never looks as beautiful as this one! Absolutely gorgeous!

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  22. A gorgeous and original idea for panna cotta! love the presentation!

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  23. Mark, thank you, my friend!
    It was my first time tasting sake, too. Joao will be making some caipirinha for me using it instead of cachaca.

    Pete, thank you!

    Lydia, really, darling? I think it was beginner's luck. :)
    And I'm in love with my new kitchen! :)

    Vanille, thank you, darling!

    Blonde Duck, tks for visiting!

    Food Librarian, really? That's fantastic!

    Aimée, thank you, darling!

    Kelly, my dear, my list is on the loose, too. :)
    Let me finish putting everything together and I'll show you my kitchen!

    Sarah, you made me laugh - maybe this one will make you a convert? :)

    Lorraine, thank you so much, darling!
    xx

    Pea, thank you, my friend.

    Susan, give it a try, dear!

    Allen, thank you! It did blend well with the other ingredients - I was sort of apprehensive.

    Emiline, thank you!

    Nina, thank you!

    Pille, I'm glad you think so!

    Andreea, I hope you do!

    Fearless Kitchen, I was in need of a good idea. :)

    LyB, they were really golden!

    T.W., I think it went really well!

    Pam, of course it would - everything you cook looks fabulous, darling!

    Capree, thank you for visiting!

    Meeta, thank you, my sweet friend!

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  24. Sake in a pannacotta.. Mmmm..I have to try this some time!

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  25. Interesting ingredient for panna cotta! Not so much a boozy dessert lover but I'd love to have a bite to try :)

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  26. Patricia,
    That looks divine!!! Wow, I can taste the creaminess and fruitiness right through the picture. The sake apples must be the perfect accompaniment to this awesome panna cotta.

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  27. That looks divine! Love sake, love panna cottas...gotta love this!!

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  28. Sake panna cotta sounds good. Nice presentation!

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  29. wow, nice combo!
    did u eat it with the chopsticks??! :D

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  30. Patricia, I've never made panna cotta and have actually been terrified of trying. I just have this fear that I'll mess it up somehow...
    When I lived in Japan, I met many people of Japanese-Brazilian heritage. Don't know if you have plans to visit Japan someday, but there are so many great Brazilian restaurants and clubs there. I certainly learned a lot about your country while living there...

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  31. I find panna cotta endlessly interesting and sake panna cotta is truly an intriguing variation. Yum!

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  32. wow that looks so creamy - and the apples next to it - yum!

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  33. Wow, this is great! I have lived in Kyoto for about 10 years and have had some excellent panna cotta here, but never one made with the excellent sake produced in this very city. I have to try this! Thanks!

    KyotoFoodieのPeko

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  34. ZOMG. I've been wanting to try panna cotta FOREVER. But the gelatin scares me... This looks absolutely beautiful!

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