Orange panna cotta, roasted figs, plums and thyme

Serves: 6
Course: Dessert
Cooking Time: 0 hr 45 mins
Ingredients
  • For the panna cotta
  • 350ml cream
  • 80g brown sugar
  • Peel of one orange
  • Two drops of vanilla extract
  • 2.5 leaves of gelatine
  • 350ml milk
  • For the fruit:
  • 6 ripe figs, halved
  • 4 ripe plums, halved and stoned and quartered
  • 100 ml apple juice
  • 50g brown sugar
  • 2 sticks of cinnamon
  • A sprig of thyme
  •  

1 Put the cream, sugar, orange peel and vanilla into a larger pot than you think you need, bring gently to a simmer then set aside.

2 Meanwhile, soak the gelatine in cold water till it softens.

3 Remove the orange peel from the cream, squeeze out the gelatine from the water, then whisk it in. When you're sure it has melted, add the milk, then divide the mixture into nice serving dishes or china cups.

4 Put in the fridge to set for at least four hours.

5 For the fruit, preheat the oven to 185 degrees.

6 Put the fruit cut-side up in a casserole dish. Pour in the apple juice and sprinkle over the sugar. Tuck in the cinnamon and thyme and bake for 20-30 minutes until melting and tender. The cooking time will depend on how ripe your fruit are.

7 Allow the fruit to cool and serve on top of the panna cotta.

Paul Flynn

Paul Flynn

Paul Flynn is a chef, restaurateur and contributor to The Irish Times. He and his wife, Máire, run the Tannery restaurant and cookery school in Dungarvan, Co Waterford