Giuseppe Dell’Anno’s Marsala panna cotta recipe

“While panna cotta are not technically bakes as they are not cooked in the oven, I could not possibly leave them out of a collection of Italian classics,” says winner of The Great British Bake Off, Giuseppe Dell’Anno.

“The name literally means ‘cooked cream’ as the cream is brought to a simmer with sugar and flavourings before dissolving the soaked gelatine leaves.”

Panna cotta al Marsala

Ingredients:

(Makes 8 pots)

200g caster sugar

7g platinum grade gelatine leaves (about 4 leaves)

600g whipping cream (30–35% fat)

1tsp vanilla bean paste

2tbsp white rum

Method:

1. Prepare eight aluminium pots on a flat, heat-resistant surface (a wooden chopping board is ideal).

2. To make the caramel, melt 100 grams of the sugar in a small metal saucepan over the lowest heat on your hob. When the edges start melting, tilt and shake the pan to melt all the sugar. At no point in the process should you stir the caramel. The caramel is ready as soon as all the sugar is liquid and deep amber in colour.

3. Carefully pour just enough caramel in each pot to coat the bottom, dividing it evenly. Be very careful at this stage as the caramel is around 200°C and can cause serious burns if it gets in contact with the skin. The aluminium pots will get very hot too once the caramel is poured (use of protective gloves is recommended).

4. Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, add 300 grams of the cream, the remaining 100 grams sugar and the vanilla paste to a small pan and bring to a simmer. By warming up only half of the cream, the cooling/setting time will be shorter, and less alcohol will be lost through evaporation. Remove from the heat, squeeze out the excess water from the gelatine leaves and dissolve them in the hot cream, stirring vigorously with a spoon or, even better, a whisk.

6. Very slowly pour the remaining 300 grams cold cream into the hot cream mixture, stirring constantly. Always add the cold cream into the hot, never the other way around: this will avoid premature setting of the gelatine and the formation of rubbery lumps in the cream.

7. Finally, add the rum and Marsala wine and combine. Divide the mixture equally between the pots; they should be filled up to about one centimetre from the rims. Leave to set in the fridge for at least three hours or, better, overnight.

Giuseppe’s Italian Bakes by Giuseppe Dell’Anno is published by Quadrille, priced £20. Photography by Matt Russell. Available now.