Some members of the T&W team must confess to a personal relationship with this panna cotta. We ate it. Which is why we are thrilled to share it, and to introduce the Spice Discovery, a new venture for Anna Wallis of The Taste Collective.

Anna wants to spice up our lives (starting with our meals) and she has teamed up with Herbie's Spices to create a spice subscription - the Spice Discovery - which will see you receive a regular delivery of fresh, premium spice along with bespoke recipes like this one so you can use it straight away. It's like your own, curated spice rack, without the years-old jars you've forgotten why you bought, and would also be a great gift. 

She is looking for 250 subscribers to get the project off the ground - find out more and sign up via her Pozible campaign. In the meantime, we can recommend this silkily seductive dessert...



THE STORY
Panna cotta is darling of chefs everywhere for good reason – it really couldn't be any easier to make. Two aromatic friends from the Middle East and the Caribbean make quiet magic in this this update on the classic. And with subtlety the key to panna cotta's charm, it's the perfume of Saffron that makes it the unconventional hero in this dish.



THE LIST
125 ml milk
425ml pouring cream
60g caster sugar
a pinch of saffron (about 10 threads)
zest of one grapefruit
1.5 sheets titanium strength gelatine
flavourless oil such as grapeseed, for brushing

Serves 4
THE METHOD
Place the milk, cream, sugar, saffron and zest into a pot and bring to a very gentle simmer. Ensure the sugar has dissolved, then remove from the pot from the heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, lightly brush four 125ml moulds with the oil. Then place the gelatine leaves in a small bowl, cover them with cold water and leave them to soak for five minutes.

Return the mixture in the pot to a simmer then remove from the heat again. Take the gelatine from the water, squeezing excess water out, and add to the pot while whisking briskly to dissolve.

Strain the mixture through a sieve into a jug that's suitable for pouring into your moulds. Then, if your sieve contains only zest and saffron, with no gelatinous lumps, add them back into the mixture for colour, flavour and texture on the top of your turned out panna cotta.

Pour your mixture into the moulds. Cover each one with cling film, allowing the film to rest on the top of the panna cotta mixture itself to prevent a thicker skin from forming. Place them in the fridge to set for at least six hours.

To serve, remove the panna cotta from the fridge and leave to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, before turning them out onto plates to serve.