1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp freshly grated lemon zest
1 tsp powdered gelatin
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract, or equivalent in vanilla seeds
1 cup fresh basil leaves, cleaned and dried
Pinch of salt
Fresh berries for serving
Makes Six Total Time: 40 minutes, but must be refrigerated overnight
Add the heavy cream, basil, sugar, salt, vanilla, and lemon zest to a saucepan over medium heat. Cook for about 6 minutes or until it just starts to boil. Remove from heat and cover the pan for 30 minutes.
In another bowl add the gelatin to 5 tsp of water and set aside. Heat the heavy cream mixture back up so that it barely starts to form bubbles. Then remove from heat and stir in the gelatin mixture. After gelatin is dissolved, pour whole mixture through fine sieve, squeezing all the juices out of the basil and lemon zest. Then add buttermilk, mix, and pour mixture into six ramekins or glasses. The panna cotta can be served both in a glass or flipped onto a plate. Cover all of them in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least twelve hours. Serve with the berries.
