recipes
Morello Cherry Panna Cotta
I love to use seasonal produce in all my recipes in the restaurant and I take pride in using local produce and supporting local businesses. Our sister company, Boxford Suffolk Farms has been in the press recently, thanks to Waitrose choosing them as a supplier for delicious Morello Cherries â the first time in 20 years this variety has been stocked in a UK supermarket. So I thought I would share with you some of ways I make the most of this under-appreciated fruit.
First up, lets learn how to make Cherry panna cotta with cherry compote.
Ingredients - Compote
- 500-600g Ripe Morello Cherries, Pitted
- 100ml Water
- 150g Sugar
- 100ml Cherry Brandy (optional)
Ingredients - Panna Cotta
- 540ml double cream
- 132ml semi-skimmed milk
- 132ml cherry juice (made in step 1)
- 120g cater sugar
- 9g of sheet gelatine

Method
Step 1
- 1. Put the cherries in a pan with sugar and water, add the cherry brandy if using. Leave uncovered and simmer gently for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. The cherries should be tender and glossy but still whole, and the juice should be syrupy.
- 2. Remove the cherries with a slotted spoon, and take out 132ml juice for the panna cotta.
- 3 .Bring the remaining juice back to a simmer, and thicken slightly with corn flour. Simmer for 3 minutes.
- 4. Pour over the cherries and store in the fridge where it will keep for a couple of weeks.
Step 2
- 1. Soften the gelatine in a little cold water
- 2. In a pan, gently head the cream, milk and cherry juice. Be careful not to bring it to the boil. Add the sugar and stir until itâs dissolved.
- 3. Squeeze the gelatine to remove the water, and stir it into the pan to dissolve.
- 4. Pass the mixture through a fine strainer into a jug and leave it to cool.
- 5. Divide the mix into 6 serving glasses, and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
To serve, spoon some cherry compote onto the panna cotta. TIP: for extra texture, why not crumble some chocolate cookies over the top.
Enjoy!