Fried brioche, saffron panna cotta, cardamom poached peaches, rosewater jelly, pistachio crumble
Pain perdu, panna cotta au safran, poires pochées à la cardamome, gelée à l'eau de rose, crumble à la pistache
Ingredients
Saffron panna cotta: 225 ml cream 100 ml milk 50 g caster sugar ¼ g saffron 1½ platinum gelatine leaves iced water Cardamom poached peaches: 1 cup sugar ¼ cup honey 4 cups water 6 cardamom pods, crushed 1 vanilla bean, split 6 peaches, halved and pitted Rosewater jelly: 5 platinum gelatine leaves iced water 50 ml rosewater 250 ml water 150 g sugar 1-2 drops pink food colouring Pistachio crumble: ¼ cup rolled oats ¼ cup flour ¼ cup brown sugar 2 pinches salt ¼ cup crushed pistachios 1 tablespoon water 60 g butter
Method
For the saffron panna cotta, in a saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream, milk, sugar and saffron to a simmer, being careful not to overheat the mixture. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the saffron to steep for 40 minutes. Soak the gelatine in iced water for about 2 minutes until it softens. Squeeze out the excess water from the gelatine leaves. Bring the panna cotta mixture back to a simmer on the stove, again remembering not to overheat it. Remove the pan from the heat, add the gelatine to the cream mixture, then pour into four plastic dariole moulds. Place in the refrigerator to set. For the cardamom poached peaches, place the sugar, honey, water, cardamom pods and split vanilla bean into a saucepan over low heat and bring to a simmer. To maximise the flavour, remove the pan from the heat and set aside for the mixture to steep for about 30 minutes. Bring the cardamom liquid back to a simmer over low heat, then add the peaches to the pan. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, until the peaches are tender - be careful not to overcook the peaches. It is far more desirable that they are still firm, rather than too soft. Remove the peaches gently from the syrup and allow both to cool. Return the peaches to the syrup once both the liquid and peaches are cold. For the rosewater jelly, soak the gelatine in iced water for about 2 minutes until it softens. In a saucepan over low heat, bring the rest of the jelly ingredients to a simmer and allow the sugar to dissolve. Remove the pan from the heat, squeeze the gelatine leaves to remove any excess water and add the gelatine to the warm liquid. Pour the jelly mixture into a tray with a lip, lined with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to set. Once set, turn the jelly out onto a cutting board and dice into 2 cm cubes (you will need 20). Preheat the oven to 190°C. For the pistachio crumble, in a food processor blend the rolled oats, flour, sugar and salt until the oats are slightly broken. Place in a mixing bowl with the crushed pistachios and water, then work the butter through the mixture using your hands. Place the crumble mixture on a lightly greased tray and bake in the oven, tossing every 5 minutes, until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. To build the plate, place the panna cotta and peaches on top of the fried brioche and drizzle with a little of the peach syrup. Scatter the jelly around the plate and top each with about half a cup of crumble.
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