Recipes Desserts Buttermilk Panna Cotta Be the first to rate & review! The key to a perfect panna cotta is the right ratio of gelatin to dairy. Lisa Donovan uses just enough to set each dessert while maintaining a creamy, luscious texture. Using vanilla bean paste adds beautiful flecks to each panna cotta, but vanilla extract will work well, too. By Lisa Donovan Lisa Donovan Instagram Twitter Website Lisa Donovan is a James Beard Award-winning writer and chef who has redefined what it means to be a Southern baker as the pastry chef to some of the South's most influential chefs.Expertise: baking, pastry, foodways, social justice.Experience: Lisa Donovan has been formative in developing, writing, and establishing a technique-driven, historically rich narrative of traditional Southern pastry in restaurants across the country and in print. She is a regular contributor to Food & Wine and has been a featured speaker at René Redzepi's globally renowned MAD Symposium, discussing the culture and responsibilities of restaurants. Lisa centers her work on advocacy and education. Her recipes and writing have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Eater, Literary Hub, and Saveur. She is the author of Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger, which earned her a Les Dames d'Escoffier International M.F.K. Fisher Prize in 2021. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on February 1, 2020 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Victor Protasio Yield: 6 Ingredients 1 3/4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin 3 tablespoons cold water 1 3/4 cups heavy cream 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 1/2 cups best-quality whole buttermilk (such as Cruze Farm) 1 1/2 cups peeled and segmented blood oranges or other fresh fruit Directions Sprinkle gelatin over 3 tablespoons cold water in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes to dissolve, stirring once. Meanwhile, combine heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan over medium, and cook, whisking often, until sugar dissolves and mixture is hot, 4 to 5 minutes (do not boil). Remove from heat. Whisk gelatin mixture into cream mixture until fully dissolved. Pour mixture through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a large measuring cup with a spout; discard solids. Stir in buttermilk. Pour mixture evenly into 6 (6-ounce) ramekins or straight-sided glasses (about 1/2 cup each). Chill, uncovered, until set, at least 8 hours or up to 2 days. Serve in ramekins, or invert onto serving plates. (To invert, run an offset spatula around edges of panna cotta. Dip bottom half of ramekin in hot water for 10 seconds. Invert panna cotta onto serving plate.) Serve with blood orange segments. Make Ahead Panna cotta can be made and refrigerated two days ahead. Rate it Print