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Recipe Detail Page
Bee Pollen Panna Cotta with Ginger Crunch, Granny Smith Apple and Hawaiian Sea Salt
Spring 2008
A fabulous dish that is really different. The crunch will amaze your kids if they watch you doing it. It tastes like the inside of a Crunchie bar. The apple and sea salt give an extra dimension to the dessert. You have to try it to see the effect. Bee pollen is available in health food stores. If you cannot get pink-tinted Hawaiian sea salt, use fleur de sel or Maldon salt. Not as pretty - but effective.
Serves 6
Bee Pollen Panna Cotta
1 cup (250 mL) homogenized milk
1 tbsp (15 mL) powdered, unflavoured gelatine
2 cups (500 mL) whipping cream
2 tbsp (25 mL) bee pollen
¼ cup (50 mL) honey or to taste
Ginger Crunch
¾ cup (175 mL) sugar
4 tsp (20 mL) corn syrup
1 tsp (5 mL) grated ginger
1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda
Garnish
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and cut into small chunks
Hawaiian sea salt for garnish
1. To make panna cotta, place ¼ cup (50 mL) milk in a small pot and sprinkle with gelatine. Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until gelatine is dissolved. Set aside.
2. Heat cream, remaining ¾ cup (175 mL) milk and bee pollen in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir and bring just to a boil. Stir in honey and gelatine. Let mixture cool, stirring occasionally.
3. Oil six ½ cup (125 mL) ramekins. Carefully pour mixture into ramekins and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.
4. To make Ginger Crunch, combine sugar, corn syrup and grated ginger in a large pot and simmer over medium-low heat for 7 minutes or until a golden caramel colour. Remove from heat and quickly whisk in baking soda. The caramel will begin to foam, to double in size. Don’t touch until it finishes foaming.
5. Pour foam onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and let set at room temperature until crisp, at least 2 hours.
6. Break into desired size of pieces and store in an airtight container in a cool dry place.
7. To serve, unmould panna cottas onto individual serving plates by dipping the ramekin into hot water to loosen (or leave in their containers). Serve panna cotta with ginger crunch. Skewer apple chunks onto 6 forks and place 1 skewer on each plate. Sprinkle a pinch of Hawaiian sea salt on the edge of the plate, close to the apple. To experience the full effect, dip the apple into the sea salt then eat panna cotta.
Serves 6
