Watercress and Morel Panna Cotta
This savory panna cotta was made with the “rejects” from my first morel hunt of the season. It made for a great starter and could easily be adapted to any number of mushroom varieties (dried or fresh).
Watercress and Morel Panna Cotta
Yield: Approximately 200g
Ingredients
- 66g | Watercress
- 80g | Morel Mushrooms | use the rejects and stems
- 15g | Parsley stems
- 0.5g | Thyme Leaves
- 1g | Powdered Gelatin | I used Knox brand
- 57g | Heavy Cream
- 8g | Unsalted Butter
- 6g | Roasted Garlic
- 135g | Water
- Salt to taste
1. Bloom gelatin in heavy cream
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook watercress for 20 seconds. Remove and submerge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Squeeze the watercress to remove excess moisture and reserve.
3. In a small pot, simmer the blanched watercress, chopped morel mushrooms, parsley stems, picked thyme, and roasted garlic cloves in water for 40 minutes on low heat. Be sure to cover the pot to avoid evaporation.
4. Add the bloomed gelatin, heavy cream, and butter to the pot and stir to melt the gelatin. Bring up to a simmer to hydrate the gelatin and remove from heat.
5. Transfer mixture to the carafe of a blender and blend into a smooth puree. Pass puree through a fine mesh sieve and season to taste with salt.
At this point, think about the temperature you wish to serve the panna cotta. If you plan on serving the dish very cold, more seasoning may be required at this step as flavors tend to be more muted when served cold.
6. The panna cotta is very delicate so it is best cast directly into the serving vessel to set. Scale out the final mixture and divide evenly across serving vessels and set in the fridge to set up. It will continue setting for up to 12 hours but could be usable in 5-6 hours depending on the temperature of your fridge.
*Serving suggestions: The panna cotta is earthy and rich and pairs well with acidic ingredients and ingredients that provide texture. I served this with the Chefsteps pickled mustard seeds, pickled and charred ramp stems, and an herb salad of chive, parsley, fennel fronds, and shaved shallot.