You have to sparkle at Christmas, and this luxury dessert from Mehdi Amiri, executive chef at Wynyard Hall, is one amazing way to impress your festive guests
Blackberry celebration
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- For the blackberry sorbet
- 300g blackberry purée
- 80g caster sugar
- 20g sorbet stabiliser
- 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 400ml still filtered water
- For the panna cotta
- 2 gelatine leaves
- 250g blackberry puree
- 100ml double cream
- 50ml whole milk
- 60g caster sugar
- For the blackberry cannelloni and gel
- 300g blackberries
- 80g caster sugar
- 10g Ultratex (gelling agent)
- For the cannelloni filling
- 50g icing sugar, sieved
- 200g soft cream cheese
- 1 gelatine leaf
- Note, this recipe requires a sorbet/ice cream maker
Method
- For the sorbet Bring all the sorbet ingredients together to a simmer in a heavy-based pan. Remove from heat and chill. Churn for 40 mins in an ice cream maker and freeze.
- For the panna cotta Soak the gelatin leaves for 10 mins in cold water. Place all the other ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan and gently bring to a boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the gelatin leaves, whisk well and set in a container. Refrigerate for up to
- hours before use.
- For the gel Cook the blackberries on a medium heat with the sugar and Ultratex. Blend, pass through a fine sieve and chill. Set aside around a third of this gel for garnish later. Spread the rest over rectangular stencils and dehydrate in a food dehydrator or in the oven for 6 hours at 40C to create malleable sheets. Wrap the sheets around a metal tube (eg a knife steel) and continue to dehydrate for a further 12 hours at 40C. Remove from the tube and store in a dry, airtight container.
- For the cannelloni filling Add the icing sugar to the cream cheese and whisk into a smooth paste while adding the blackberry gel.
- To serve Use the gel to make a thin ribbon stripe on each plate, fill the cannelloni tubes with the filling and place on the stripe, and slice the panna cotta into portions and add one to each plate. Serve with quenelles of sorbet and, when in season, fresh lemon balm or butterfly sorrel leaves.
