Fig Leaf Panna Cotta with Roasted Stone Fruit

Fig leaves give the cream a lovely floral note, its subtle but unique. Make these as individual or as one large pan cotta which you can slice or spoon onto peoples plates. I like to used a vanilla bean paste, rather than essence where there are no vanilla seeds and for which the strength can be unpredictable. But if you want to a vanilla pod, just cut it in half and scrape out the seeds and put them in the cream along with the pod to infuse.

Serves 6

Cooking time 40 mins

Prep time 10 mins

Plus 4 hours infusion time and setting time

Ingredients:

Panna cotta:

600ml double cream

300ml whole milk

90g caster sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla paste

8 fresh fig leaves

6 small sheets leaf gelatine (I use Dr Oetker)

Roasted fruit:

700g stone fruit, plums, nectarines, cherries etc

50g brown sugar

200ml red wine

2 star anise

Pinch of salt

Method:

1. Start making the panna cotta a day before you want to serve it.

2. In a large pan combine the cream, milk, sugar and vanilla and bring to just below scalding point; when bubbles start forming around the edges. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the fig leaves, cover and leave to infuse until the cream has completely cooled.

3. Strain the cream through a sieve, pressing out the excess from the leaves, into a clean pan and warm. Put the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold for 5 mins until they have softened. Remove and squeeze the water out of the sheets and add to the warm cream and stir to dissolve. Pour the cream mixture into you chosen moulds and leave in the fridge until set; around 6 hours.

4. Preheat the oven to 160C. Whether you are using a combination of stone fruit or just one kind, pit them all and cut the larger ones in half or quarters. In a large roasting dish combine the wine, sugar, salt and start anise and add the stone fruit. Roast in the oven for 20 mins or until the fruit has just softened but not disintegrated.

5. Remove the fruit from the liquid with a spoon and reserve the liquid to drizzle over. Turn out the panna cotta either on to individual plates or one large one, using a blow torch if needed to help it release. Arrange the roasted fruit around it, spoon over the syrup and serve.