Lemon Panna Cotta

What would your answer be if you were asked what 3 food items you would like to have on a desert island?  My answer is always - lemons, olive oil and a live chicken.  I was going to say salt, but I reckon you could make your own on an island:=)  (And I want sugar too).  Anyway, I always have lemons (and often limes) in my crisper.  It would be a cold day in Hell before you found me lemon-less.  

lemons on a friend's tree 

So this recipe of Ruth Reichl's is perfect as I had lemons, and a few limes from our friends' tree, in the fridge needing to be used and loved very soon.  Regular readers will know that I have a copy of her latest book My Kitchen Year on my shelves.  I've really enjoyed reading her stories, even though she can be a bit melodramatic at times.  I am keenly trying out some of her recipes; this is number 3. Let's see how it goes friends.   


Serves 6:

ingredients:


500 mLs (2 cups) cream - pure or thickened

105g. white or caster sugar

150-170 mLs of lemon juice, and 1-2 tbs lemon zest



Method:


Pour the cream into a medium saucepan over a medium-low heat

Stir the sugar in and bring to the boil, stirring the whole time

Once boiled, let it boil for 2 minutes, stirring, stirring, stirring...

Take it off the heat and whisk in the lemon juice and zest

Pour into 6 ramekins and place in the fridge for at least 6 hours; I think overnight is better


This is a soft cream, so you can't unmould it like a normal panna cotta, but it is delicious.  

Notes:

Ruth does not give quantities other than cups, and to tell us to use the juice and zest of 3 lemons.  Grrrr!  This gets on my goat, as they say. Big lemon, little lemon, poor dried-out husk of a lemon!?!  I measured the juice from my fruit and got around 200 mLs.  As the ubiquitous but not always useful Web tells you, the average lemon can give anything from 45 to 55 mLs.  Not helpful.  So I went for 150, then upped it to 170, 'cos we love lemon here.  The zest came to about 1 tbs, but we like more...

only 3 ingredients - gotta love that

get ready to grate those citrus  

cream and sugar on the stove about to be boiled

boil for 2 minutes, stirring all the while   

bring to the boil, then boil for 2 minutes 

golden and creamy

pour the lemony cream into 6 ramekins  

ready to eat after at least 6 hours in the fridge 

Happily, Ruth is now 3 for 3.  I have tried this one, her quiche recipe, and the ginger cake which was so good.  My quiches are always a bit hit and miss, but I am set now that I have her guiding hand.  Mr P. and I loved this lemon panna cotta, especially since it doesn't have gelatine, which we both hate - on principle, and because of the often hit-and-miss texture.  

my lemony doodle