Smoked Vanilla Bean Panna...Smoked Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Fig Leaf Infusion, Port-Poached Mission Figs, and Buckwheat Honeycomb

A refined Michelin-caliber dessert balancing ethereal silky dairy, fragrant herbaceous fig leaf oil, rich spiced port wine reductions, and the airy, caramelized crunch of buckwheat honeycomb.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Bloom the gelatin sheets in ice-cold water for 7 minutes until fully softened. Squeeze out excess moisture and set aside.

2. 02

   In a heavy-bottom saucepan, combine cream, whole milk, caster sugar, and vanilla seeds along with the pod. Warm gently over medium-low heat until it reaches 80°C (175°F); do not boil. Introduce cold applewood smoke with a culinary smoking gun, cover tightly with film, and steep for 15 minutes.

3. 03

   Strain the warm cream mixture through a fine chinois. Whisk in the bloomed gelatin until completely dissolved. Divide evenly among four chilled silicone dome or cylinder molds and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours until delicately set with a gentle wobble.

4. 04

   Prepare the fig leaf oil: Blanch fig leaves in salted boiling water for 10 seconds, then immediately shock in an ice bath. Squeeze thoroughly to remove all water, then blend on high speed with grapeseed oil heated to 60°C for 3 minutes until smooth and emerald green. Pass through a coffee filter overnight without pressing.

5. 05

   Create the honeycomb: Line a heatproof tray with parchment. In a deep saucepan, bring the buckwheat honey and 50g granulated sugar to 150°C (302°F). Remove immediately from heat, vigorously whisk in the sifted baking soda for 3 seconds as it foams dramatically, and pour onto the tray without spreading. Let cool completely, then break into organic shards.

6. 06

   Poach the figs: Combine ruby port, star anise, and a strip of orange peel in a small sauté pan. Simmer until reduced by half. Halve 4 figs and quarter the remaining 4; add to the warm reduction for 2 minutes off the heat to gently glaze and infuse without collapsing.

7. 07

   Plating: Unmold the panna cotta onto the center of wide, chilled ceramic plates. Arrange the glossy poached figs alongside. Drizzle a precise pool of the reduced port jus split with droplets of the vibrant green fig leaf oil. Garnish with shards of buckwheat honeycomb and finish with two flakes of Maldon smoked salt.