I know I know… I am sure you are thinking that I must have gone mad. Yes, Parmigiano Reggiano is a cheese and Yes again, Panna Cotta is (usually) a dessert. But hear me out. What is panna cotta made of? Basically, cream. To which we add flavours, milk (sometimes), gelatine and sugar. If you take the sugar out of the equation, you can easily make a savoury panna cotta. Same silky consistency, same shine… different taste. With that in mind, you could use various cheeses to make one and experiment, but today, I will show you how to make a classic savoury panna cotta with the King of Italian cheeses: Parmigiano Reggiano. They make a fantastic appetiser or buffet food, very classy, especially if served in shot glasses (it is quite rich, so do not make huge portions… you can always go for a second serving!)! I like to top these with some balsamic glaze and Parmigiano Reggiano hearts as decorations. Read on, it is all in today’s post! Enjoy!
Parmigiano Reggiano Panna Cotta
A savoury panna cotta? YES and this Parmigiano Reggiano Panna Cotta is amazingly delicious!
Ingredients
Parmigiano Reggiano Panna Cotta
- 300 ml – 10 oz. heavy cream
- 300 ml – 10 oz. whole milk
- 200 gms – 7 oz. Parmigiano Reggiano thinly grated
- 5 sheets 10 gms – oz. of gelatine or 3 tsp of gelatine powder
Balsamic Glaze
- 50 ml – 1.75 oz. balsamic vinegar
- 30 ml – 1 oz. honey
Parmigiano Hearts
- 100 gms – 3.5 oz. Parmigiano Reggiano thinly grated
Instructions
Parmigiano Reggiano Panna Cotta
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In the meantime, put the milk, cream and grated Parmigiano Reggiano in a pot and heat it on the fire, stirring gently until the cheese melts.
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Now squeeze the excess water from the gelatine sheets and add them to the hot cream and Parmigiano Reggiano mixture and stir well to dissolve.
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Pour the mixture in the shooters (or moulds) and keep them in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight to set.
Balsamic Glaze
Parmigiano Hearts
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You can make any shape you like as long as you have a mould. I used a heart shaped mini muffin tray to make hearts.
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Put enough grated Parmigiano Reggiano to completely cover the base of your mould and bake for a few minutes, until the cheese has completely melted and it starts bubbling. Keep an eye on it and make sure it does not become golden brown or it will taste bitter! When just golden, remove from the oven and let it cool down completely before unmoulding. When cool, it will harden.
To Assemble
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Top the panna cotta with some balsamic glaze and a Parmigiano heart and serve cool or at room temperature.
I’ve seen these before and they are delicious. Love the idea of the Parmesan crisps and the balsamic glaze!
Brilliant ideas all the way round! Love the idea of an elegant savory panna cotta to surprise guests with and never thought of using a muffin tray to give your parmigiano rounds a perfect shape.
If you ask me, this is absolute genius. I’m not big on desserts (although I do like panna cotta) so I’d love to try this.
I guess there is no reason why it wouldn’t work but might not be quite the sweet one would be expecting.
I think you are just walking the line between craziness and genius! This definitely fall and the right side of the line 😉
Hi Manu,
How do you use powdered gelatine instead of gelatine sheets for this recipe?
Maria