RHUBARB PANNA COTTA WITH DIEGO RILEY, NAPIER QUARTER

RHUBARB PANNA COTTA

For the Pedro Ximénez rhubarb

300ml Pedro Ximénez sherry
400g rhubarb

For the panna cotta

1l cream
75g sugar
3 gelatin sheets
1 vanilla pod or 1 tsp of vanilla paste
1 pinch of salt

For the rhubarb jam

600g rhubarb
280g sugar
120ml cold water
½ lemon

Method

For the Pedro Ximénez rhubarb

1. Place sherry in a small pot and bring to the boil. Let the alcohol burn off, then reduce the heat and simmer until you have a syrup consistency. Dice rhubarb into small cubes and add to the pot: cook for 5 minutes until soft but with a bit of bite. Cool down.

For the panna cotta

1. Place gelatin sheets in cold water to bloom. Heat cream and vanilla in a saucepan (do not let it boil) then add sugar and salt and cook for five more minutes. Take it off the heat, add the vanilla pod and gelatin, then stir. Cool down.

For the rhubarb jam

1. Cut rhubarb into chunks, place in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients – include the lemon seeds, which add enough pectin for thickening the jam. Put aside and rest for one hour.
2. After an hour add the contents of the bowl to a pot and bring to a boil. Cook at medium heat stirring frequently for 20-30 minutes until jam consistency. Remove lemon and lemon seeds and cool down.
3. When all the ingredients are cold, place the Pedro Ximénez rhubarb mix in the bottom of a serving glass, then strain the panna cotta mix and pour into the glass gently leaving some space for the jam. Place in the fridge and leave to set overnight.
4. Once set, top up the glass with the rhubarb jam. Garnish with mint or fresh fruits.