Lemon panna cotta - Lawrence Murphy

If you add lemon juice to milk it will slowly begin to curdle due to a specific milk protein called casein.
Lemon panna cotta by Lawrence MurphyLemon panna cotta by Lawrence Murphy
Lemon panna cotta by Lawrence Murphy

Scientists will tell you that this protein normally floats around in milk in a liquid state and if you add any acid they start to group together and the milk goes lumpy.

As someone who cooks this can be, at times, a little annoying; however, it can also be an advantage.

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It’s this case in protein that helps to set lemon posset and the process is accelerated when the cream is warmed or hot.

A lemon posset will set in a dish but does start to run a little when you eat it.

We wanted to make a lemon panna cotta and on our first attempt the combination of the setting agent and the lemon resulted in a wobble-less dessert.

Anyone with a little knowledge of food insists on a panna cotta with wobble so we persevered and came up with a recipe for you to try.

Ingredients 

200ml double cream

175ml milk

50g caster sugar

1 leaf gelatine soaked in cold water

Juice 1 lemon

Method

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1. Heat the double cream and sugar in a saucepan to dissolve the sugar.

2. Remove from the heat and stir in the gelatine (squeeze as much water from the gelatine as possible).

3. Stir in the milk and then the lemon juice.

4. Pour into 4 moulds and put in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

5. Gently blow torch the moulds to remove the panna cottas and serve.