The Buddha and the Three Oranges

This is not a Zen koan; this is a recipe for a high-fat dessert. That it contains three citrus fruits is a frivolity: a single orange will work just as well, but I couldn’t resist snapping up the wrinkly satsuma, the blood orange, or the sweet lime (looking like a beach ball abandoned halfway through decoration), when they appeared at my supermarket.

I was given these Italian-made buddha molds, appropriately enough, by a Thai-Italian friend. Naturally, using a plain ramekin is not going to drastically alter the flavours of this dish. But you will miss out on the pleasing sight of the brightly-coloured things resting upside down in tumblers to set.

The recipe I came up with uses the zests of all three citruses for flavour, the juices of two for an accompanying syrup, and the segments of one for garnish. It has plenty of acidity to lighten, but the mulling spices keep it distinctly wintry. The coarse-ground nutmeg will fall to the bottom of the mold and form a pretty roof once turned out onto a plate.

Winter Panna Cotta with Spiced Wine Syrup

INGREDIENTS

For panna cotta
1 envelope powdered gelatin
2 tsp milk
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
zest of 1 orange
1 tsp ground nutmeg

For syrup
1 cup red wine
juice of 2 oranges
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp cloves

For garnish
1 orange, cut in supremes

METHOD

For panna cotta
Place milk in a bowl and sprinkle gelatin powder over, to soften.

Place heavy cream in a pot and add orange zest, nutmeg and sugar. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Strain.

Pour hot cream over gelatin, whisking until fully combined.

Pour into molds and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, overnight if possible.

For syrup
Combine ingredients in heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer until a syrupy consistency is reached. Strain and cool at room temperature. If mixture hardens, heat in microwave for 10-15 seconds.

To serve:

Run knife gently around edge of mold, dip mold into a bowl of hot water, and invert onto plate. Surround with spiced syrup and orange supremes.

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COMMENTS / 3 COMMENTS

Gorgeous! Sounds delicious, too.

Mrs.W added this comment on Mar 04 08 at 8:53 am

I love the buddha moulds - is it some test of personality to see which part you eat first?! I love the idea of the wine syrup, what a great way to use up those leftovers (not that we get many of those at our place!)

Basil added this comment on Mar 14 08 at 8:36 am