Kefir pannacotta with chocolate caramel sauce

Method

1. Soak the gelatine in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes. In a pan, warm 400ml of the cream, the caster sugar, zest and vanilla seeds over a medium heat until steaming hot. Take off the heat, squeeze excess water from the gelatine and stir into the cream mixture until dissolved. Cool.
2. Strain the cream mix through a sieve into a bowl, then stir in the kefir. In another mixing bowl, whip the remaining 200ml double cream to soft peaks, then fold into the kefir/cream mixture. Pour into the moulds, cover with cling film and chill for 6-8 hours (overnight if possible) until set – see Make Ahead.
3. For the sauce, put the sugar in a deep non-stick frying pan set over a low heat. Shake the pan occasionally so the sugar melts evenly. Once the sugar has melted, keep heating and stir every now and then until it turns a deep red brick caramel colour.
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5. Turn off the heat and stir in the 190ml cream (it might spit), then stir in the chocolate to form a thick sauce. Add a pinch of salt and 2 tbsp water to thin it, then keep warm until ready to serve (see Make Ahead).
6. Dip the bases of the dariole moulds in a bowl of hot water for 10 seconds to loosen (see picture, top left), then turn out onto serving plates. Serve drizzled with the warm sauce.