Long before it was fashionable, I was brought up on the notion that gelatin was evil.
Made from boiled tendons, skin and other un-mentionable pig parts, it wasn't exactly a revered member of our household pantry and therefore rarely made an appearance.
Growing up on alternate medicine and home remedies and being the grand child of a stout orthodox Jain which for my Nani, naturally translated into being a devout vegetarian, this translated into home made ice creams and desserts using subsitute thickening agents such as corn-starch or simply reducing milk and cream to a point where it lumps and turns into the creamiest richest dessert base.
I would often see my Ma and Nani hand churn fresh fruit ice creams in the summer and empty it into large metal containers to chill in the freezer. And so for most part my childhood was devoid of gelatin.
It was only when I moved to Singapore that I learned about the Asian substitute to this ingredient, namely Agar-Agar. This, derived from a sea weed and used extensively in Asian desserts including those yummy pudding we so like to grab off the dim-sum cart at weekend brunches at the restaurant.
I was delighted when my friend and fellow blogger Joumana from Taste of Beirut dedicated a whole post to the benefits of Agar Agar - you will find this excellent article here and even has exciting facts about how it is used for weight loss. Imagine that!
In America and I suspect much of the Western world gelatin is in so many processed foods and I try to stay away from this as much as possible. However, it is inevitable that that we all partake a fair bit of the stuff whether we like it or not.
Where to purchase Agar Agar?
I strongly recommend you purchase only powdered Agar Agar which is easily available (usually Telephone brand) in Asian (Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese & Japanese stores)
If you go to a specialty gourmet food stores and buy this, 9 times out of 10 you'll find Agar-Agar flakes, not the powder and this stuff requires boiling and cooking and in my opinion sets funny at times - because it is not completely homogeneous. So save yourself a lot of grief and spare me your cussin' and buy the powdered stuff, people!
This wonderful panna cotta with cream & fresh strawberries makes a wonderfully smooth and light summery dessert.
I use Agar-Agar for my puddings and panna cottas which in itself comes with one distinct advantage - it chills and sets much much quicker than gelatin. Oh and none of the 'rubber bullet' panna cotta with this one!
And if eating some tasteless sea weed grosses you out, maybe I should leave you with the thought of boiled pig parts!
To get started gather the ingredients - 2 lbs (2 cartons) ripe, sweet strawberries, lemon, sugar, milk, heavy (whipping) cream, powdered Agar-Agar and also required is non-stick spray & 6 ceramic or non-reactive metal molds or ramekins
Preparation-
Strawberries -Set aside 6 large strawberries for later use in the refrigerator. Cut off the tops and discard. Halve and rinse under tap water. Set aside.
Lemon -Using a zester, (I love my microplane for this) zest the lemon rind.
Cooking Method -
In a sauce pan, add the strawberries and 1/2 cup sugar and on medium heat simmer for 5 minutes till the juices are released and strawberries have softened.
In another clean stainless steel pot, add the milk and cream and on medium heat allow it to become very hot.
Measure out the Agar and sprinkle over the milk. Whisk vigorously to combine. Allow the milk to simmer for 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool a bit. It will be consistency of a thickening sauce.
Using a slotted spoon remove the strawberries only (not the juices) into a blender. Pulverize to a smooth puree. Reserve the strawberry juices in the pan.
Using a fine mesh sieve with a large mixing bowl below, strain the strawberry puree. Stir with a spoon to push the strawberry puree through the sieve. Push through till all that is remaining is pulp in the sieve. Discard the pulp. Cook's Note - Do not omit this step or you will end up with a grainy panna cotta.
Add the lemon zest to the pureed strawberries. Remove 2/3 cup of the strawberry puree and pour into the reserved strawberry juices.
Pour the milk and cream mixture into the remaining strawberry puree in the bowl. Stir vigorously with a whisk till the mixture goes from mottled red to pink.
Spray the molds or ramekins with non-stick spray. Pour the creamy mix into the molds to the 3/4 mark.
Set aside for about 20-30 minutes to cool a bit. Place the molds on a baking tray or platter and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for atleast 2-3 hours.
Make Ahead tips - You can make these upto 2 days in advance and do not unmold till just before serving.
An hour before serving, thinly slice strawberries and toss in the compote (which is the strawberry juice & puree mix)
To unmold the panna cottas just before serving time, run a butter knife along the edges of each mold gently. Place the molds in a baking pan filled with very warm tap water and set aside for 2-3 minutes.
Invert each mold on one serving plate at a time, tap gently to unmold the panna cottas.
Serve with a drizzle of the strawberry compote with sliced fresh strawberries.
Incredibly delicate, here is a burst of summer in every bite. Cool and refreshing, these small servings are a perfect treat even for the weight watching epicure. Think portion control and enjoy!
Enjoy!
Recipe for
Gelatin-free Strawberry & Lemon Panna Cotta with Strawberry Compote
Makes 6-7
Preparation time - 30 minutes
Setting & Chilling time - 2-3 hours
Shopping list
2 lbs (2 cartons) ripe, sweet strawberries
1 lemon for zest
1/2 cup sugar - for strawberries
1/4 cup sugar - for cream & milk mixture
1-1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream
2 tsp powdered Agar-Agar
Also required is non-stick spray & 6 ceramic or non-reactive metal molds or ramekins
Preparation-
Strawberries -Set aside 6 large strawberries for later use in the refrigerator.
Cut off the tops and discard. Halve and rinse under tap water. Set aside.
Lemon -Using a zester, (I love my microplane for this) zest the lemon rind.
Cooking Method -
In a sauce pan, add the strawberries and sugar and on medium heat simmer for 5 minutes till the juices are released and strawberries have softened.
In another clean stainless steel pot, add the milk and cream and on medium heat allow it to become very hot.
Measure out the Agar and sprinkle over the milk. Whisk vigorously to combine. Allow the milk to simmer for 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool a bit. It will be consistency of a thickening sauce.
Using a slotted spoon remove the strawberries only (not the juices) into a blender. Pulverize to a smooth puree. Reserve the strawberry juices in the pan.
Using a fine mesh sieve with a large mixing bowl below, strain the strawberry puree. Stir with a spoon to push the strawberry puree through the sieve. Push through till all that is remaining is pulp in the sieve. Discard the pulp.
Cook's Note - Do not omit this step or you will end up with a grainy panna cotta.
Add the lemon zest to the pureed strawberries. Remove 2/3 cup of the strawberry puree and pour into the strawberry juices that you had previously set aside.
Pour the milk and cream mixture into the remaining strawberry puree in the bowl. Stir vigorously with a whisk till the mixture goes from mottled red to pink.
Spray the molds or ramekins with non-stick spray. Pour the ccreamy mix into the molds to the 3/4 mark.
Set aside for about 20-30 minutes to cool a bit. Place the molds on a baking tray or platter and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for atleast 2-3 hours.
Make Ahead tips - You can make these upto 2 days in advance and do not unmold till just before serving.
An hour before serving, thinly slice strawberries and toss in the compote (which is the strawberry juice & puree mix)
To unmold the panna cottas just before serving time, run a butter knife along the edges of each mold gently. Place the molds in a baking pan filled with warm tap water and set aside for 2-3 minutes.
Invert each mold on one serving plate at a time, tap gently to unmold the panna cottas.
Serve with a drizzle of the strawberry compote.
Enjoy!