Ali’s Panna Cotta

Place the cream, sugar, vanilla bean, and seeds in a medium saucepan over medium heat just to a simmer until the sugar dissolves, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it, but do not stir. Let it stand for 5 minutes.

Stir the gelatin into the warm cream mixture until melted. Remove the vanilla bean and discard or saved for another use if desired. Stir in the buttermilk and salt and ladle the mixture into 6, 6-ounce ramekins. Let cool to room temperature. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate, until set, at least 2-3 hours.

To serve, run the tip of a small knife around the panna cotta and unmold onto individual plates. Let stand until almost at room temperature, about 1 hour. Serve surrounded by fresh fruit.