Vanilla panna cotta with glazed apples

Name: Vanilla panna cotta with glazed apples
Prep time: 4 h
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 4 h 30 min
Cuisine: modern

Creamy vanilla panna cotta paired with glazed apples and a delicate hint of thyme.

Difficulty: easy

Preparation time: 240 min

Baking/cooking time: 30 min

Style: modern

Apple: Gala

Ingredients

250 ml double cream
1/1½ tablespoons sugar
½ vanilla pod (seeds scraped out + pod)
1½ gelatine leaves
1 apple from Südtiroler Apfel PGI (Gala variety)
1½ tablespoons sugar
½ tablespoon lemon juice
2 cl Calvados
½ tablespoon butter
1-2 sprigs of thyme (preferably lemon thyme)

500 ml double cream
2–3 tablespoons sugar
1 vanilla pod (seeds scraped out + pod)
3 gelatine leaves
1–2 apples from Südtiroler Apfel PGI (Gala variety)
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 cl Calvados
1 tablespoon butter
2–3 sprigs of thyme (preferably lemon thyme)

1000 ml double cream
4–6 tablespoons sugar
2 vanilla pod (seeds scraped out + pod)
6 gelatine leaves
2–4 apples from Südtiroler Apfel PGI (Gala variety)
6 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoon lemon juice
8 cl Calvados
2 tablespoon butter
4–6 sprigs of thyme (preferably lemon thyme)

Preparation

Bring the cream to the boil with the sugar and vanilla, then let it simmer gently for about 5–10 minutes. Strain the mixture through a sieve.
Squeeze out the gelatine and stir it into the warm cream, stirring continuously. Tip: let the mixture cool slightly until it thickens a little, then stir again. This prevents the vanilla from settling at the bottom of the moulds.
Rinse the moulds with cold water and fill them with the mixture.
Cover and chill in the fridge for 4–5 hours.
In the meantime, wash the apples from Südtiroler Apfel PGI, cut them into quarters and remove the cores. Slice the quarters thinly using a mandoline.
Heat the sugar in a pan until it turns into a light caramel, deglaze with lemon juice and Calvados and let it reduce until the caramel has dissolved. Stir in the butter and thyme, then add the apple slices. Let them cook gently until they are soft but still slightly firm to the bite. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Briefly dip the panna cotta moulds in warm water, then turn them out onto a plate or serving dish and serve with the apples.