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Coconut Milk Panna Cotta with Jasmine Tea Poached Pears + Pomegranate {vegan, GF}

vegan, dairy‐free, egg‐free, gf, soy‐free, nut‐free
This light and creamy coconut milk panna cotta, made with agar, is the perfect finish to a cosy autumnal dinner. You can serve them in little jars or un‐mould them onto plates with the pears, pomegranate and jasmine‐pear syrup served alongside. Feel free to play around with the accompaniment to suit your taste and the season – berries or roasted rhubarb would be perfect if pears are not in season! Poached pears + pomegranate topping inspired by and adapted from The Bojon Gourmet.
Servings 4

Ingredients

panna cotta

  • 1 x 400ml tin coconut cream or full‐fat coconut milk if you can't find coconut cream
  • 1/2 tsp agar powder
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • tiny pinch fine sea salt
  • 1 vanilla bean

pears

  • 2 cup boiling water
  • 2 tbsp loose leaf jasmine tea flowers`
  • 1/2 cup raw cane sugar*
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • the vanilla pod leftover from making the panna cotta
  • little pinch of salt
  • juice of 1/2 small lemon
  • 2 medium‐large firm pears such as beurre bosc, peeled, cored & quartered

to serve

  • pomegranate arils from about 1/2 a pomegranate

Instructions

panna cotta

  • Place the coconut cream, agar powder, maple and sea salt in a small saucepan. Scrape in the seeds from the vanilla bean pod with a knife (reserve the pod for cooking the pears) and give the mix a good whisk to incorporate. Heat the mixture over medium‐high heat, whisking occasionally, until the agar has dissolved and the mixture is just about to begin simmering. Pour into a blender and blend for about 1 minute on high speed (don't skip this step – it's key for a perfectly creamy texture!).
  • Divide the mix equally into 4 serving jars or moulds and scoop any froth off the top. Chill the panna cotta in the fridge for at least 3 hours before serving.

pears

  • Pour the boiling water over the jasmine tea leaves in a large measuring jug. Let steep for 5 minutes, then strain into a wide pan with high sides. Add the sugar, wine, vanilla pod & pinch of salt and bring to a boil over medium heat.
  • Add the pears and lemon juice to the pan (the liquid should just cover the pears – if not, add a little more boiling water as needed). Simmer until the pears are just tender but still holding their shape, about 10 minutes or so, turning the pears over halfway through cooking. Remove the pears using a slotted spoon and let cool on a plate. Cut into large pieces to serve.
  • Simmer the pear cooking syrup over medium‐high heat until thick, syrupy and reduced to about 1 cup. Let cool.

serve

  • Remove the panna cotta from the fridge, if you'd like to un‐mould them, run a thin knife around the edge first before loosening (you can also dip the moulds in hot water), then invert onto a plate and jiggle the mould to loosen it. Otherwise just keep them as is in the serving jar. Serve the panna cotta with the pears, a scattering of pomegranate arils and a little swirl of the reduced jasmine‐pear syrup alongside.