Apricot Panna Cotta With Mint Gelée & Apricot Sauce

if there's one cookbook that i can't stop myself from staring at the cover, this would be it - dessert fourplay by johnny iuzzini. no prizes for guessing why :p i finally got my hands on him it, dessert fourplay - sweet quartets from a four-star pastry chef by johnny iuzzini. of coz, the reason is not entirely for the man himself, but for the desserts, obviously! i'm really into plated desserts lately, in fact, i'm just too intrigued and fascinated by them that i blew 95 bucks on another one, frozen desserts by culinary institute of america & francisco migoya not too long ago. while i'm not sure if i'm ever gonna be able to make (or plate) them, these books are just too good 2b missed. pictures & recipes aside, i read them like i would an encyclopedia coz they're really chockful of useful information. anyway, back to this book. dessert fourplay is categorized into four seasons, each "major" dessert comprising of 4 mini ones in tasting portions/shooters, hence the name. everything looks so beautiful that i just can't decide where to begin. i finally settled for this coz its the easiest among the lot. no need for baking nor choc tempering, no need to hunt for difficult-to-find ingredients like maltodextrin & inverted sugar syrup, no need for bombastic equipment like an N2O charger cartridge to make espuma (the foam/emulsion thingy). the least intimidating but just as visually stunning i would say, tho' it still involves quite a no. of steps. tastewise, pretty light and not too sweet. LOVES the mint gelee that goes suprisingly well with the apricot, though it does reminds you of eating lamb. will be attempting other desserts from the book soon coz need to make sure my money is well spent :p

ingredients (serves 4-6 on its own or 8 as part of a fourplay) :

for the mint gelee :

60g fresh mint leaves

6 tbsp (105g) simple syrup - made by boiling equal parts of sugar & water together

6 tbsp water

1 1/4 tsp powdered gelatin

for the apricot panna cotta :

3 tbsp + 1 tsp (40g) sugar

1 tsp powdered gelatin

1 cup apricot puree

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup whipping cream

for the apricot sauce :

1 cup apricot puree

2 tbsp water

thinly sliced mint leaves, for garnishing

directions :

1. to make the mint gelee, first set up a bowl of ice water.

2. bring a saucepan of water to a boil. blanch the mint leaves for 15 secs, drain, then shock it in the ice water. drain again & squeeze out all the water of the mint.

3. put the mint in a blender with the simple syrup and 6 tbsp water. blend at high speed for at least 1 min. to make a smooth puree. strain through a fine strainer, pressing hard on the solids to get out all the mint syrup.

4. put about 2 tbsp of the mint syrup in a small glass bowl and sprinkle the gelatin on top. let it sit for at least 1 min, then microwave on high for 30 secs. add gelatin to the rest of the syrup and mix well.

5. divide the gelee among 6-8 glasses (depending on what kind you use), lean them on their sides on an egg carton and refrigerate for 2 hrs or until firm.

6. to make the apricot panna cotta, mix the sugar & gelatin together in a small bowl.

7. put the apricot puree, milk & cream in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. turn off the heat and whisk in the sugar and gelatin, stirring for at least 1 min.

8. let the panna cotta mixture cool to room temp. & pour it over the mint gelee, leaving a little room at the top of each. refrigerate overnight to set.

9. to make the apricot sauce, combine the apricot puree & water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, stirring often until reduced by half, taking care not to let it scorch.

10. cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hrs. spoon onto the panna cotta & garnish with the thinly sliced mint before serving.