Avocado panna cotta with raspberry coulis

SERVES 8

250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) milk

1 large avocado, flesh removed, chopped

750 ml (26 fl oz/3 cups) cream

125 g (4½ oz) caster (superfine) sugar

½ vanilla bean

4 titanium gelatine sheets (total 20 g/¾ oz) or 1½ tablespoons powdered gelatine

COULIS

150 g of raspberries (fresh or frozen)

3 tablespoons raw (demerara) sugar

3 tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar

3 tablespoons water

Put the milk and avocado in a blender and purée until well combined and smooth. Put the cream and caster sugar in a saucepan, then split the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds with the tip of a knife and add them and the bean itself to the cream. Slowly bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and add the milk and avocado mixture and gently combine — you do not want to create air bubbles on the surface.

Put the gelatine leaves into cold water and soak for about 7 minutes, then squeeze out the water and add the leaves to the hot cream mixture. Carefully fold through until they are all dissolved.

If you are using powdered gelatine, use 3 tablespoons of the milk and sprinkle the gelatine over it, leave for a few minutes, then stir into the hot cream mix. Pour into eight 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) glasses and put in the fridge for 3 hours or until well set.

For the coulis: Put the raspberries in a saucepan with the sugars and water and bring to the boil, then simmer for 7-10 minutes until you get the consistency you desire. I like to mash the fruit with a fork as it cooks down so that it is pulpy. Set aside to cool. Then blend and strain the mixture.

Streak some coulis across each plate then dip the panna cotta moulds into hot water to warm up the panna cotta so it will slip easily out of the mould and place it on the sauce. Place a little more sauce on top of the panna cotta. If serving in a glass just place a teaspoon or so of the sauce in the middle of the panna cotta.