My parents used to run a B&B and my mum used to make a wide range of breakfasts. Carrageen mould was always on the menu. If I’m being honest, I used to turn up my nose at it because it had seaweed in it. My tastes have developed over time and I’m a bit more adventurous than I was in my youth.
Carrageen moss, also called Irish moss is not a moss but rather a seaweed. Back in the day, Carrageen moss was boiled in milk and was taken as a tonic. For you healthy folk out there, it’s rich in Vitamins A, E, F, K, calcium, potassium, sulphur and iodine. It is touted as being great for thyroid health, for mucous and congestion issues but also skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. Surely, that deserves that superfood label.
This recipe brings carrageen into the modern day with a beautiful fresh salsa which is bittersweet from the golden berries and mango. I hadn’t tried golden berries before, they are quite tart. A bit like a gooseberry or kumquat. They would work really well in a jam or chutney.
Oh, I forgot to mention that this dish does not have any seaweed undertones in any way, so don't be put off by that.
Serves 2
Panna cotta Ingredients
10g carrageen moss- you only need a very small amount for this recipe
500ml milk
1 tbsp. vanilla bean paste
1 tsp. coconut oil or cooking oil (one with a mild flavour)
Salsa Ingredients
100g golden berries, quartered
100g mango, diced
4-5 mint leaves, finely shredded
1 tbsp. maple syrup
Method
1. To make the panna cotta, rinse the carrageen in water to make sure there is no dirt or sea-life in it. Add to a saucepan with the milk and vanilla paste. Stir and bring to a gentle boil. Boil for 20 minutes. You will need to keep an eye on the saucepan as the milk can boil over. Putting a wooden spoon across the top of the saucepan helps it from spilling over.
2. While the panna cotta is underway, make the salsa. This is simply a matter of mixing all the ingredients together that you had pre-chopped in a bowl. Cover with some cling film and leave in the fridge until the panna cotta is ready to be served.
3. Grease the mould or ramekin with the coconut oil. Once the panna cotta has boiled for 20 minutes, drain the liquid through a sieve into your mould.
4. Leave the panna cotta in the fridge to set, this will take about 2 hours.
5. To help guide the panna cotta out of the mould, you can place the mould in a bowl of boiling water. You can always leave it in the mould if you are worried about it not turning out right. If you are taking it out of the mould, get your serving plate ready, place over the top of the mould and turn over. It should come away easily.
6. Serve with the salsa dotted around the panna cotta.