The first time I saw a gelatin sheet, I was a newbie in the kitchen at Daniel, and I was confused. I couldn’t imagine that a thin, brittle, plastic-feeling laminate strip could magically turn a liquid into a gel, but once my chef showed me the simple technique, I understood. Restaurant chefs prefer gelatin sheets to packets of powder because each unit is a precise measurement, and therefore easy to measure. If you’ve ever followed the same panna cotta or mousse recipe a few times, and found its firmness to be inconsistent from batch to batch, it’s probably because the amount of powdered gelatin has been inconsistent (those packets never seem to contain the same amount, do they?). Don’t be afraid, the blooming process is basically foolproof: If you allow the sheets to dissolve properly in a heated liquid, you’ll never get a chewy clump in your otherwise silky-smooth panna cotta. We don’t yet sell gelatin sheets on Gilt Taste, but we will soon. The industry standard is silver strength. Trust me, try it.
If you’ve been following our weekly video series chronicling our night of debauchery and delight at the Catskill’s cabin, you’ve vicariously relived the whole menu: a wobbly soft-boiled egg with wild mushrooms and jamon Ibérico, Hama Hama oysters with pickled mustard seeds, a kale salad with brown butter glazed pine nuts, and a dry-aged whole ribeye basted in butter. By the time we got to the dessert, it was pouring rain, but we didn’t care. The clock struck 2, Champagne bottles were drained and records were spinning. An ultra-creamy panna cotta could have been too indulgent after such a big feast, but accented with smoky maple syrup, and topped with toasted brioche crumbs and crunchy shards of candied Marcona almonds, no one complained as they dug into their bowl by the fireplace. If memory serves me, many (I?) had seconds. – Jen Pelka
By The Smoke, 5th Course
Maple Panna Cotta with Marcona Almonds and Brioche
By Ithai Schori
Serves 18-20
1 quart milk
1 quart heavy cream
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 whole vanilla pods, split lengthwise
1 teaspoon salt
7 ½ gelatin sheets
1½ cup brioche bread crumbs
Butter, as needed
½ cup Marcona almonds
Fresh mint leaves, to taste, finely sliced
Smoked sea salt to taste
In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine milk, heavy cream and 1 cup maple syrup and bring to a low simmer. Do not allow to boil over. Reduce heat so the milk is steaming but not bubbling, add vanilla pods and allow to steep until they’ve wilted. Remove from heat. Carefully remove each pod from the milk. Scrape the beans from one of the pods into the milk and whisk to combine.
While the vanilla beans are steeping, place the gelatin sheets in cold water for 5-7 minutes until fully softened. Remove the gelatin from the water and squeeze with your hands to remove excess water. Add the cold gelatin to the vanilla-infused cream mixture while it's still hot. Whisk to be sure that it is completely dissolved. Add salt, pour the mixture into a heavy dish, let cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight until fully set.
Over medium heat, melt the butter and let it come to a nutty brown color. Toast the bread crumbs in the butter until lightly golden. Remove and drain on paper towel.
Roughly chop the Marcona almonds. Over medium heat, reduce remaining 2 tablespoons of maple syrup by one third and toss the almonds to candy. Remove from heat and evenly spread the nuts on a Silpat or piece of parchment to cool.
To serve, scoop about a half-cup of the panna cotta into each bowl, and sprinkle on the almonds, bread crumbs, and mint. Finish each dish with a pinch of smoked sea salt.
More By the Smoke videos
Soft-boiled egg with wild mushrooms
Opening oysters with style
Kale salad with pine nuts
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