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Buttermilk and poire William panna cotta with ginger doughnuts and pear purée

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Italy

Known as an Italian recipe, with similar versions prepared across other nations.

Ingredients 23 ingredients

  1. 1 tsp ground ginger
  2. 50g/1¾oz caster sugar
  3. 50g/1¾oz butter
  4. 4 pears, peeled
  5. 25ml/1fl oz poire William
  6. 100ml/3½fl oz condensed milk
  7. 1 vanilla pod, split in half lengthways and seeds scraped out
  8. Cut
  9. 350ml/12fl oz buttermilk
  10. 1 tsp fast-action yeast
  11. 4 tiny sprigs mint
  12. Breadcrumb
  13. 300ml/10fl oz double cream
  14. vegetable oil, for deep frying
  15. 1 lemon, zest and juice
  16. 1 vanilla pod, split and seeded
  17. 150g/5½oz caster sugar
  18. 250g/9oz strong white flour
  19. 1-2 tbsp icing sugar, for dusting
  20. Chop
  21. 30g/1oz butter, softened
  22. 2 gelatine leaves, soaked in water for at least five minutes
  23. pinch salt
Contains GlutenEggsMilk Read from the ingredients, not verified. Check labels.

Possible health benefits

General information, not medical advice.

  1. Lemon High in vitamin C · Source of protein

    High in vitamin C · 53 mg per 100 g, 66% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of blood vessels.
    • Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of bones.
    • Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of cartilage.
    11 more authorised claims
    • Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of gums.
    • Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin.
    • Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of teeth.
    • Vitamin C contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
    • Vitamin C contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system.
    • Vitamin C contributes to normal psychological function.
    • Vitamin C contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
    • Vitamin C contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.
    • Vitamin C contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
    • Vitamin C contributes to the regeneration of the reduced form of vitamin E.
    • Vitamin C increases iron absorption.

    Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble nutrient found in some foods. In the body, it acts as an antioxidant, helping to protect cells from the damage caused by free radicals. NIH fact sheet

    Source of protein · 1.1 g per 100 g, 15% of the energy from protein

    • Protein contributes to a growth in muscle mass.
    • Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass.
    • Protein contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.

    Nutrients per 100 g of “Lemons, raw, without peel”, USDA FoodData Central.

Claims: EU Register of health claims (Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, © European Union, CC BY 4.0), shown only where the ingredient meets the claim's conditions (Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006). Nutrients: USDA FoodData Central (CC0). Facts: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (public domain).

Cook safely

Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.

  • Hot oil. Never put water on an oil fire: turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid or a damp tea towel. Pat food dry before it goes into hot oil, and lower it in gently, away from you.
  • Deep frying. Fill the pan no more than a third full of oil, and never leave it on the heat unattended. Heat the oil only to the temperature the recipe needs; if it smokes, turn the heat off.
  • Oven and hot trays. Use dry oven gloves for trays and dishes: a hot tray looks just like a cold one. Open the oven door away from your face and let the first rush of heat out.
  • Boiling water and steam. Turn pan handles inward, away from the edge of the hob. Lift lids away from you, and pour hot water away from your body: steam burns too.
  • Grill and open flame. Keep sleeves, hair and tea towels away from the flame, and stay with the grill while it's lit. Barbecue outdoors only, never in a closed space.
  • Hot sugar. Hot sugar sticks to skin and burns far hotter than boiling water: don't touch or taste it. Keep a bowl of cold water close, and keep children away while it cooks.
  • Blending hot liquid. Let it cool a little first, fill the blender no more than a third, and hold the lid down with a folded towel. Start on the lowest speed. A stick blender in the pan is safer.
  • Sharp knives. Cut on a board that doesn't slip (a damp cloth under it helps), and curl the fingers of the hand that holds the food.

Method

  1. For the panna cotta, chill a jug in the freezer.
  2. Heat the double cream, vanilla pod and seeds and the sugar in a saucepan until just boiling, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat, squeeze out the excess water from the soaked gelatine and add it to the hot cream. Whisk in the buttermilk until the gelatine is dissolved completely.
  3. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into the chilled jug, and then stir in the poire William.
  4. Chill the cream mixture in the fridge, whisking every five minutes until the mixture begins to set. Divide the mixture among four dariole moulds and chill in the fridge for at least two hours.
  5. For the doughnuts, mix the flour, salt, 25g/1oz of the caster sugar and all of the butter, 150ml/5fl oz water and yeast until well combined.
  6. Mix for 4-5 minutes, or until the mixture comes together as a smooth dough. Cover with cling film and set aside for one hour to rise, or until doubled in size.
  7. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and roll each into a ball.
  8. Line a tray with baking parchment and place the dough balls onto it, leaving plenty of room between each ball. Set aside in a warm place to prove for a further 20 minutes.
  9. When the dough has proved, heat the oil in a deep fat fryer to 150C/302F. Alternatively, heat the oil in a deep, heavy-based saucepan until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns brown when dropped into it. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
  10. Carefully lower the dough balls into the hot oil in batches and deep fry for 3-4 minutes, or until golden-brown. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper.
  11. Place the remaining caster sugar and ground ginger on a plate and roll the doughnuts in it until completely coated.
  12. For the pear purée, place the peeled pears into a saucepan with the lemon zest and juice, and the sugar, vanilla pod and seeds. Add enough water to just cover the pears.
  13. Place on the heat, bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
  14. Lift the pears out and drain onto kitchen paper until cool enough to handle.
  15. Cut two of the pears in half top to bottom, then cut each half into about eight chunky pieces, discarding the core.
  16. Pat the pear pieces dry then transfer to a baking tray. Sprinkle with icing sugar and caramelise using a chef’s blowtorch (or under a pre-heated grill) until golden brown.
  17. Roughly chop the remaining two pears and place in a blender with two tablespoons of the poaching liquid and blend to a thick purée- adding more liquid if necessary.
  18. Heat a frying pan until hot, add the butter and cook until just nut brown then add the pear purée and heat through – the sauce should split.
  19. To serve, dip the outside of the panna cotta moulds into hot water for a few seconds, then gently turn out onto the centre of each serving plate. Place three doughnuts onto each plate and scatter the caramelised pear chunks around. Finish with a drizzle of the buttery pear purée and some mint leaves.

Plating

Cookware for this recipe

  • Deep fryer or deep pan
  • Frying pan
  • Saucepan
  • Grill or grill pan
  • Baking tray
  • Whisk
  • Blender
  • Chef's knife
  • Cutting board
  • Grater
  • Vegetable peeler
  • Wooden spoon
Source Not stated: saved from a website or mailing list, rights unverified
Credit

By: James Martin. From the programme: Christmas Kitchen with James Martin. Saved from BBC Food, file Recipes/bbcfood-archives/buttermilk_and_poire_45307.html in the Internet Archive item cooking-recipes (https://archive.org/details/cooking-recipes).

What was changed: Read by machine from the bbc-food-html text: title, ingredients and method as written, columns closed up and wrapped lines joined; credit lines kept apart; e-mail addresses removed; an all-capitals title given ordinary capitals. Not rewritten.