Panna cotta with strawberry sauce

1. Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 10 minutes.

2. Split the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the seeds; in a saucepan, combine the cream, milk, sugar, vanilla seeds and pod and heat, stirring, until just boiling, then take off the heat.

3. Remove the vanilla pod, squeeze out the gelatine and stir it into the hot cream until completely dissolved.

4. Let it cool slightly (stirring now and then so the vanilla doesn't sink), then pour into 6 small glasses or moulds and chill for at least 4 hours until set.

5. For the sauce, hull the strawberries and cook them with the sugar and lemon juice in a small pan for 5 minutes, then blend, pass through a sieve and let cool.

6. To serve, leave the panna cotta in the glasses, or dip the base of the moulds briefly in hot water and turn out onto plates, then pour over the strawberry sauce.

Tip: A dessert from Piedmont - a good panna cotta is just set and wobbles; instead of strawberries you can serve it with raspberries, caramel or chocolate, and it keeps for 2 days in the fridge.