Lemon verbena panna cotta

You will only be able to make this recipe if you have a lemon verbena plant or know someone who grows it. It’s really worth planting if you don’t have it as it grows fast and you will have a good size plant within a year. Once planted you will have leaves until mid autumn. It’s best used to infuse and as well as this recipe for panna cotta, you can put some in stock and savoury dishes.

Make sure you have no insects on the lemon verbena. Gently wash and dry then using a rolling pin, lightly bruise the stalks and leaves.

Add the cream and sugar to a saucepan and bring to just below boiling stirring occasionally until the sugar has melted. Turn the heat off, add the lemon verbena, put a lid on and leave to infuse for 20 minutes.

Soak the gelatine in iced water for 10 minutes. Put the butter milk in a large jug of bowl which has enough room to add the cream once it’s infused.

Place a fine mesh sieve over a bowl and using a slotted spoon remove the lemon verbena into the sieve. When it’s cool enough to handle, squeeze the leaves and allow the liquid to drop through the sieve. Discard the leave and rinse the sieve.

Squeeze the excess water from the gelatine and stir into the cream and sugar mixture along with any liquid in the bowl from the lemon verbena. Give it all a good stir. Pass the cream and sugar mixture through the sieve onto the buttermilk in the jug or bowl. Give it a good stir. Pour into 4 glasses and place in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.