| Ingredients
serves 6
for the panacotta:
2 leaves of gelatine - soaked in a small amount of cold water
500ml Riverford double cream
100g unrefined golden caster sugar
1 vanilla pod split lengthways
for the marinated fruits:
100g sultanas
80g raisins
20g mixed peel
finely grated zest of an orange
3tbsp dark rum
100g golden caster sugar
50ml water
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Method
1 First prepare the dried fruits as they need to marinate overnight to allow them to plump up in the syrup. Place water and sugar in a small pan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and then simmer gently for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the rum and pour over the dried fruits and zest (use a zester for this if you possess one,, it produces lovely fine threads). Cover the bowl with cling film and leave overnight.
2 Place double cream and sugar in a saucepan together with the split vanilla pod, (it will help if you scrape the tiny seeds from inside the pod to disperse into the cream), and heat slowly to just below boiling point, stirring to make sure the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and add both the soaked gelatine leaves (without the soaking water) then stir continuously until the gelatine has disappeared. Allow to cool completely, then pop the bowl into the fridge for 15 - 20 minutes, stirring a couple of times to make sure vanilla seeds are distributed evenly through the cream - they will otherwise tend to sink to the bottom. Divide into individual moulds and leave to set for at least 4 hours.
3 Ten minutes before the end of cooking time, dry roast the almond slivers in a frying pan for a couple of minutes to golden, set aside. Heat 750ml of water to boiling, pour in 375g instant couscous and cook gently for 1 minute, cover and leave to stand for a further 4 minutes then add olive oil, chopped coriander - or mint - plus some seasoning to taste.
4 Remove from moulds by dipping bases in hot water then carefully turning out. Spoon rum-marinated fruits around the panacotta together with some of the syrup. |
