Photo by Alan Benson and Suzanna Boyd
This dessert showcases some of the amazing produce of the Mekong Delta region: plump mangoes, sweet pineapple, juicy watermelon, fresh mint, coconut and cashews. Jenny Pham, our chef at Red Lantern, incorporated this refreshing dish into our summer menu. It was a winner!
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 ripe mango, weighing about 500 g (1 lb 2 oz), peeled and diced
- 300 ml (10 1/2 fl oz) thickened (whipping) cream
- 220 ml (7 1/2 fl oz) coconut cream
- 1-1/2 tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar
- 2 teaspoons powdered gelatine
- unsalted crushed roasted cashews, to garnish
Watermelon, pineapple & mint salsa
- 100 g (3-1/2 oz) watermelon, seeds removed, flesh finely diced
- 100 g (3-1/2 oz) pineapple, peeled, core removed, flesh finely diced
- 1 tablespoon icing (confectioners’) sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 10 mint leaves, thinly sliced
Preparation:
- Put the mango flesh in a food processor and blend to a smooth purée. Set aside.
- Place the cream, coconut cream and sugar in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat for 3 minutes, or until well combined and heated through.
- Pour 2–3 tablespoons hot water into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatine over. Whisk with a fork to dissolve the gelatine.
- Stir the mango purée into the warm cream mixture, then strain through a fine sieve, into a jug. Add the gelatine mixture and stir well to combine.
- Pour 185 ml (6 fl oz) of the panna cotta mixture into four glasses. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 4–6 hours, until set.
- Near serving time, combine all the salsa ingredients and mix well.
- Serve each panna cotta topped with the salsa and a sprinkling of cashews.
More from The Food of Vietnam:
- Dragon Fruit Shake
- Mai Chau ‘Armpit Pig’ Roasted on a Spit
- Vietnamese Coffee Tart With Fresh Pomegranate
Recipes excerpted with permission from The Food of Vietnam by Luke Nguyen, published by Hardie Grant Books, October 2013, RRP $50.00.
