Coconut Panna Cotta and Pineapple Gelée Terrine (IMBB 9)

Three weeks ago when Derrick announced that the theme of this month’s Is My Blog Burning? would be terrines, the possibilities seemed limitless. But fast forward to yesterday, and I was clueless as to what I would be making. All my sources had come up empty – there were an abundance of terrine recipes, but none looked appealing enough to make. Desperate for ideas, I turned to my flavour matching guide, Culinary Artistry, and chose the ingredient pairing of pineapple and coconut.

What should I make? A terrine of pineapple and coconut sorbets? A coconut terrine cake sandwiching layers of pineapple chutney? After several minutes of careful thought, and an hour of television to ease my mind, I settled on coconut panna cotta and pineapple gelée for its lightness and smooth texture. I didn’t have a recipe for either, but at least I now knew what I was doing.

I spent last night reading various panna cotta and coconut-flavoured recipes, and made the terrine this morning. The recipe I came up with is quite straightforward, and the terrine was delicious and refreshing. The intense and slightly tart pineapple gelée balances the light and creamy coconut panna cotta. Both melt in your mouth at about the same rate, so the flavours blend together nicely. For garnish and to provide textural contrast, I added some pineapple brunoise, coconut shavings, and pineapple glaze on the side.

The recipe makes one 5.5”x2.75”x1.75” terrine, and should be prepared at least one day before serving.

Coconut Panna Cotta and Pineapple Gelée Terrine

Coconut Panna Cotta

- ¾ cup and 2 tbsps milk
- ½ cup and 1 tbsp heavy cream
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 ½ tsps powdered gelatin

In a small bowl, combine gelatin with 2 teaspoons water.

In a saucepan, combine milk, cream, sugar and coconut. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Turn off heat and leave for 1 hour to allow flavours to infuse. Strain mixture into a bowl and discard coconut solids. Cover and refrigerate mixture overnight or for at least 3 hours.

Strain coconut mixture and transfer to a small saucepan. Heat mixture over medium heat and stir in gelatin until dissolved. Strain into a measuring glass and let it cool to room temperature; you should have about 1 cup of liquid.

Pineapple Gelée

- 1 ripe pineapple, about 4-5 lbs
- 3 tbsps granulated sugar
- ¾ tsp powdered gelatin

In a small bowl, combine gelatin with 1 teaspoon water.

To prepare the pineapple, cut off the crown and use a chef’s knife to the remove skin. Use a paring knife to cut diagonal grooves along the pineapple to remove its eyes. Cut the pineapple lengthwise into quarters. Remove and discard (or eat) the core, the tough upper ¾-inch triangle.

Reserve a small 2”x3” piece of pineapple for garnish. Coarsely chop the remaining pineapple into small pieces and puree in a food processor until smooth. Pour puree into a cheesecloth-lined sieve to extract pineapple juice. Repeat as necessary until the juice contains no pulp or solids. You should have about 1 ½ cups of pineapple juice.

In a saucepan, combine pineapple juice and sugar, and simmer until reduced to 1 cup. Remove from heat and pour half of the juice into a container. Add the gelatin to the remaining juice, stirring until dissolved. Strain mixture into a measuring cup and let it cool to room temperature.

Pineapple Reduction

In a saucepan over medium heat, reduce the remaining ½ cup of pineapple juice until it is thickens to a syrup consistency, about 2 tablespoons.

Assembly

- 1 2”x3” piece of pineapple, diced
- 1 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut

Place a stainless steel or coated 5.5” x 2.75” x 1.75” loaf pan on a flat and level surface in the refrigerator. Pour a 3/8-inch layer of coconut mixture into the pan and chill for 30 minutes or until set. Pour a 1/4-inch layer of pineapple juice, and chill for 30 minutes or until set. Continue to pour and chill two more layers of coconut mixture, sandwiching one layer of pineapple juice.

When ready to serve, dip loaf pan in warm water for 10 to 15 seconds to loosen the terrine. Place a plate over the loaf pan , flip upright and remove pan.

Use a dry, hot knife to cut the terrine into slices. Garnish with pineapple, shredded coconut and pineapple reduction.

Makes 3 to 4 servings.

Comments

[illene]

your pineapple gelee and coconut panna cotta terrine was so beautiful I had to make it for Xmas dinner's last course. I did, however, make a slightly less exotic version. I did a regular vanilla bean panna cotta and used passion fruit pulp for the gelee... it turned out fabulously!
The fruit gelee and a creamy panna cotta combo is such a light, refreshing mix.
Thanks for the inspiration!

[Anne]

This looks so great, and I'm definitely inspired to try it! I do have a question, though. What kind of milk did you use? Whole, 2%? Thanks!!

[olga]

it wonderful !

[Eric Fields]

Lovely. Any thoughts on using canned pineapple in case the produce ain't looking too hot or using coconut milk to boost the coconut flavor?

[gina]

Hi, Is there anyway to use just pineapple juice and coconut milk instead of puree of pineapple and straining it? I am currently living in a dorm and do not have the equipment to puree and my ingredients are limited.

Thanks for the recipe it looks amazing.
-gina

[Erin]

I am going to try this, but make it in individual ramekins. Better make a few extra, just in case I accidentally eat them! Just gorgeous!