Saffron Panna Cotta

A tasty dessert inspired by Babo.

I first tasted this at Babo in New York. It took me a couple of attempts to realize that it’s extremely important to get the gelatin to dissolve. If it does not dissolve, the panna cotta does not set, and you end up with a tasty sauce instead of dessert. Serves 8 to 12.

Ingredients

• 3⅓ cups heavy cream

• 3/4 cup sugar

• Zest of 1 lemon or 1 orange

• 3/4 teaspoon saffron threads

• 1 full envelope powdered gelatin

• 1 cup whole milk

Instructions

Place 1/2 cup of milk in a medium saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Then turn the heat to low and cook, stirring, until the gelatin dissolves completely. Add the cream, sugar, lemon or orange zest, and saffron threads. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring gently, then remove from the heat. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes to develop the flavor and color.

Strain the mixture through a fine-meshed sieve, then stir in the other 1/2 cup milk.

Pour the mixture into ramekins or custard cups. Chill until set. You can serve the panna cotta in the cups or unmold them just before serving by running the tip of a knife around the edge of the cup, dipping the cup quickly into hot water, and gently shaking the custard onto a plate. Serve garnished with fresh fruit and orange zest cut into long curly strips.