Apparently it’s fashion week something I’m quite oblivious to. I only really notice it when I see the super skinny, super tall girls in the metro with their books and paris maps in hand. I’m really tempted to point them in the direction of the nearest tasty bistro

So while the rest of Paris are deliberating over next season’s cut and colour I’ve been running around like a headless chicken prepping 300 canapés for an haute couture fashion event. And what does one make for an event like this? Well, I wasn’t sure either so I went with a variety of small little “oh so chic” bites.

One of the bites on the menu will be mini versions of these whiter than white lychee panna cotta (ok, I know I’ve added lychee juice which technically makes it more of a jelly than a panna cotta). Creamy but fruity and in a beautiful shade of white. I’m hoping it might even tempt the models.

Whiter than white lychee panna cotta

3 gelatine leaves
250ml lychee juice from the tin
250ml double cream
1 tin of lychees, chopped

4 ramekins

Soak the gelatine in cold water until soft. Heat the all the other ingredients (apart from the lychees) in a pan until it comes to the boil. Take off the heat. Squeeze out the water from the gelatine, add to the cream mixture. Stir well until all the gelatine is disolved. Add the lychees to the ramekins (keep some for serving) Pour into ramekins and leave to cool. Once cool put into the fridge and chill for at least 4 hours (or overnight).

To unmould: Run a sharp knife around the ramekin and then dip the ramekin in a large bowl of hot water for 10 seconds. Place a plate on top of the ramekin and turn over. Decorate with lychees.

I realised after I shot* this, that the raspberry coulis looked rather “blood like” and I even subconsiously made bloodlike splatters.

* Shoot/blood = Hmmmmmmm, maybe I have murder on my mind

I also made a lychee version of this for an event at La Cocotte. I chopped up tinned lychees and placed them at the bottom of the ramekins, poured the panna cotta on top.

Almond milk panna cotta

3 gelatine leaves
250ml almond milk
250ml double cream
2 tsp almond essence
25g sugar

4 ramekins

Soak the gelatine in cold water until soft. Heat the all the other ingredients in a pan until it comes to the boil. Take off the heat. Squeeze out the water from the gelatine, add to the cream mixture. Stir well until all the gelatine is disolved. Pour into ramekins and leave to cool. Once cool put into the fridge and chill for at least 4 hours (or overnight).

To unmould: Run a sharp knife around the ramekin and then dip the ramekin in a large bowl of hot water for 10 seconds. Place a plate on top of the ramekin and turn over.

Serve with raspberry coulis*

* I just heat frozen raspberries up with some sugar and a bit of water if necessary. Wizz it up with a blender and pass it through a sieve. Or if I’m feel extra lazy I just buy ready made stuff. Shock horror!