Ingredients

Serves 6

Panna Cotta  
500ml thickened cream
½ vanilla pod, split
60g caster sugar
1 ½ leaves titanium-strength gelatine
Olive oil for greasing
 
Roasted Apricots and honey
20g unsalted butter
1 stick cinnamon
2 star anise
4 cloves
6 apricots, halved and stoned
Dash apricot liqueur
120g honey
 

Strawberries with Vanilla

Serves 2

250g strawberries
1 vanilla pod, split, seeds scraped
1 tablespoon icing sugar
1 stick cinnamon
Clotted cream and oregano leaves (optional) to serve


 

Method

Gary’s Panna Cotta with Roasted Apricots and Honey
The secret to a good panna cotta is using the best-quality cream you can buy, then using just enough gelatine to hold it all together. As you turn out the panna cotta it should bow and bulge under its own weight.  Soft, luscious and irresistible.
 
 
1. Place the cream, vanilla and sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil, then remove from the heat. Meanwhile, soak the gelatine leaves in cold water until soft.  Squeeze the leaves, then stir through the hot cream mixture until dissolved.  Strain the liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a heatproof jug.
2. Oil six 100ml-capacity dariole moulds very lightly with a little olive oil using the tip of your finger.  Pour one-sixth of the cream mixture into each mould, then leave to set in the fridge for at least 6 hours of overnight.
3. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180˚C.
4. For the roasted apricots, place a heavy-based ovenproof frying pan over medium heat for 1 minute, then add the butter, cinnamon, star anise and cloves and allow the butter to melt and bubble.  Place the apricots cut-side down into the pan and fry gently for 3-4 minutes or until golden.  Turn the apricots over, then transfer the pan to the oven to roast for 4-5 minutes or until the apricots are just soft.  Remove from the oven, then add the apricot liqueur and drizzle with the honey. Leave apricots to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes.
5. To unmould the panna cotta, gently tease the edge of each dariole mould to release, then turn upside-down onto a bowl or plate.  Place 2 apricot halves next to each panna cotta and drizzle with the syrup from the pan, then serve.

 

George’s Strawberries with Vanilla Cooked in a Bag
This dish is incredibly easy. You can prepare the strawberries in the paper parcel well in advance so all you have to do is cook them when you’re ready. The gentle heat brings out the flavour of the strawberries. Take care that you don’t drown them in water or they will lose their flavour.

Preheat a fan-forced oven to 170˚C.

Cut a 30cm square piece of baking paper. Place strawberries in middle of paper. Scatter vanilla seeds and pod evenly over strawberries. Sprinkle sugar evenly over strawberries, then toss to coat. Add cinnamon, then bring together the four corners of the paper and tie together with kitchen string so the parcel resembles a moneybag.  Bake for 12 minutes.

Open the bag, scatter with oregano leaves (if using) and serve strawberries with clotted cream to the side.

 

Your Place or Mine by Gary Mehigan + George Calombaris
Penguin, RRP: $49.95