Panna cotta with balsamic blackberries

This panna cotta from my book Peter Gordon Everyday includes condensed milk,. When blackberries are out of season use strawberries, raspberries or blueberries.

Ingredients

300 ml	Milk
400 ml	Cream
½	Vanilla beans, split lengthways and seeds scraped out, or 1 tsp vanilla extract
1 can	Condensed milk, 400g
6 leaves	Gelatine, or 1 Tbsp powdered gelatine (Main)
60 g	Caster sugar
1 Tbsp	Water
100 g	Blackberries (Main)
1 Tbsp	Balsamic vinegar (Main)

Directions

1. Slowly bring the milk, cream, vanilla bean and scrapings and the condensed milk almost to boiling point, whisking occasionally as it heats up, then turn the heat off and leave for a few minutes.
2. Soak the leaf gelatine in very cold water for 5 minutes. Drain it, gently squeezing out excess water, and stir it into the hot cream (if using powdered gelatine, sprinkle it over 2 Tbsp cold water and stir until dissolved, then mix into the hot cream).
3. Strain the mixture through a sieve (or simply remove the vanilla bean) and pour the mixture into six 200mldariolemoulds*.
4. Leave to cool to room temperature, then cover tightly and place in the fridge to set for at least 8 hours.
5. Put the sugar in a saucepan with the water, place over moderate heat and stir until the sugar dissolves then, without stirring, cook to a light caramel. Turn the heat down, add the blackberries and the balsamic (be careful as this will create hot steam) and cook until some of the berries collapse into the caramel, mashing a few with a spoon as they cook. Take off the heat and leave to cool.
6. To serve, dip each mould into a bowl of hot water for a few seconds, then invert on to the centre of a plate and shake gently to release the panna cotta. Spoon the berries and their juices on top and around.

* As an alternative to dariole moulds use souffle moulds or heavy duty porcelain coffee/tea cups. See more in the

glossary.