Panacotta. (Italian cream custard)

Directions

1. Heat 1/2 cup milk and add gelatine. Stir briskly until gelatine is dissolved.
2. Heat balance of the milk in a pot and add vanilla extract or the seeds of the vanilla pod if using this.
3. (Slit pod down the centre and scrap out the tiny seeds and add to the milk.)
4. Add sugar and stir until dissolved.
5. Bring milk to the boil taking care not to burn it and add gelatine mixture, stirring briskly to ensure there are no lumps.
6. Pour in the cream and stir well.
7. Cook for 1 minute and then remove from heat and pour milk mixture into six ramekin dishes.
8. Allow to cool and refrigerate, covered until well chilled.
9. About 4 hours or overnight.
10. Serve 'as is' or with a berry sauce.
11. #1 Make sauce by stewing fresh berries of choice (about a cup) in a little water with sugar to taste. I also add a squeeze of lemon to give it a tang.
12. Mash the berries and simmer until you have a thick sauce.
13. Cool and spoon over the Panacotta just before serving.
14. #2 Pour a tin of strawberries into a pot and mash the fruit.
15. Simmer until liquid has reduced. Add a sqeeze of lemon and allow to cool.
16. Spoon over Panacotta.
17. NOTE
18. Gelatine should always be added to the hot liquid and not the other way around.