Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Macerated Strawberries

Lightly oil four 150 ml ramekins or dessert glasses if you plan to unmould them later. Set aside.

Hull and quarter the strawberries, then combine them with 1 tbsp caster sugar and the lemon juice in a small bowl. Stir gently and set aside at room temperature to macerate.

Pour the cold water into a small bowl, sprinkle the powdered gelatin evenly over the surface, and leave to bloom for 5 minutes without stirring — it should absorb all the water and turn spongy.

Combine the double cream, whole milk, 50 g caster sugar, vanilla bean pod, and scraped seeds in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Warm gently, stirring occasionally, until the mixture just begins to steam and small bubbles form around the edge — about 5–6 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to boil.

Remove the pan from the heat. Lift out and discard the vanilla pod, then add the bloomed gelatin to the hot cream mixture and whisk until completely dissolved with no visible granules, about 1 minute.

Pour the cream mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a jug for easy pouring, then divide evenly among the four prepared ramekins or glasses.

Cover each ramekin loosely with cling film and refrigerate until fully set, at least 4 hours and ideally overnight.

To serve, either present the panna cotta directly in glasses, or run a thin knife around the edge of each ramekin, place a chilled plate on top, and invert with a sharp downward shake. Spoon the macerated strawberries and their collected juices generously over each panna cotta.