Cauliflower Danish Blue Panna Cotta
With Almond Blue Cheese Crumble
Savory dish alert! This is not a dessert panna cotta. Unless you’re looking for a cheese course to end your meal, in which case this custard would be fabulous as a dessert...pair it with some figs or grapes or jam ... that would be amazing. But I digress. Panna cotta is traditionally a creamy dessert sweetened with honey and served with a fruit sauce. This panna cotta would also be fantastic with fresh berries or fruit sauce, but with cauliflower and Danish Blue Cheese it is decidedly a savory treat.
The cauliflower is first sautéed with butter, shallots and garlic then simmered with cream before being puréed and chilled. The flavor is rich and bold so I’d suggest serving it along something that can stand up to it like a steak, or something that usually needs flavor added like a chicken breast. Or simply enjoy it on it’s own with some crusty bread and a glass of wine. Though it must be chilled for the gelatin to set, I’d suggest bringing it to room temperature before serving and keeping the crumble warm but not too hot so it doesn’t melt your panna cotta.
I like this with a Danish Blue or Gorgonzola but any soft cow cheese would work pretty well.
Please note, this dish requires a long chill time so plan accordingly.
Recipe:
Yield:
4, 4-ounce servings
Time:
30-40 minutes cook, 6 hours chilling
Difficulty:
Easy
Special Equipment:
4 - 6 ounce ramekins or other serving glass or dish.
Photo by Daniel Marks
Ingredients
1 cup cauliflower, stems removed, cut into small florets
1 whole shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP unsalted butter
1 TBSP unflavored gelatin powder
½ cup whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
¼ tsp salt
100 grams Danish Blue Cheese, Gorgonzola or similar.
Instructions
In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add minced shallot and garlic and cook until browned, stirring to avoid burning the garlic. Add the cauliflower and cook for 5 more minutes.
Add the cream, salt, and pepper. Simmer over low for 10 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
Add the cheese and stir until it melts completely.
In a large bowl, sprinkle gelatin over milk and set it aside to soften for at least 2 minutes.
While gelatin softens, blend cauliflower mixture in food processor – or immersion blender if you have one – until creamy and smooth.
Strain the cauliflower purée into the milk gelatin mixture and whisk until thoroughly combined
Pour into silicone molds or your desired serving vessel
Tip: Small 4 oz - 6 oz glasses or ramekins work well.
Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight. If using silicon molds, it helps to freeze them for an hour before unmolding. If using ramekins or glasses, I suggest serving straight from these dishes.
Top with Almond Blue Cheese Crumble. Recipe follows.
These are 6 ounce ramekins so they don’t fill up the whole way. To serve, unmold or leave in the ramekin and simply sprinkle the crumble right on top!
Almond & Blue Cheese Crumble
Ingredients:
60 grams All purpose flour
60 grams Almond flour
60 grams Unsalted butter, slightly softened
80 grams Danish Blue Cheese, or whichever cheese you used for the panna cotta.
Instructions
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Preheat oven to 350°F
Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix all ingredients at medium speed until the texture looks like a crumble. See picture.
Turn the mixture out onto the prepared baking sheet and gently spread out to an even layer with your hands
Bake for about 12 minutes until golden brown and crispy, stirring every 3 or 4 minutes. Check after 10 minutes to avoid burning.
Let cool for a few minutes in pan.
Sprinkle crumble over plated panna cotta while still warm. Or reheat at 350 for 2-3 min.
