Lemon Posset with Berries

Posset

• 400 ml double cream (Vollrahm)
• 100 g sugar
• 0.3 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 lemons lemon zest, finely grated
• 70 ml fresh lemon juice, about 3 lemons, strained

To serve

• to taste good extra-virgin olive oil, a few drops per serving
• to taste flaky salt (Maldon or fleur de sel), a tiny pinch per serving
• to taste raspberries or blueberries, fresh
• to taste shortbread or butter biscuits(optional)

Prepare the lemons

1. 1

   Finely grate the zest from the lemons.

   Tip: Zest the lemons before juicing — they are easier to zest whole.

2. 2

   Juice the lemons and strain the juice to remove pulp and seeds.

   strainer

   Always use fresh lemon juice — bottled juice often prevents proper setting.

Heat and reduce the cream

1. 3

   Place the cream, 100 g sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Bring slowly to a gentle boil, stirring so the sugar dissolves completely.

   5mgentle boilsaucepan
2. 4

   Once boiling, reduce slightly and simmer until the mixture has reduced by roughly one-fifth — about 5–8 minutes. To check, pour into a measuring cup: 400 ml of cream should reduce to approximately 320 ml. This concentrates the cream for a reliable, silky set every time.

   8msimmermeasuring cup

   Reduce to volume rather than by time — burner output and pan width vary. Check at 5 minutes.

Add lemon and strain

1. 5

   Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice. The acidity will begin thickening the mixture immediately.

   off heat

   Always add the juice off the heat — adding it to boiling cream can cause grainy, uneven curdling.

2. 6

   Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a jug, pressing gently. This removes zest particles and any micro-curds, producing a noticeably silkier texture.

   fine-mesh sievejug
3. 7

   Pour the strained mixture into 4 small glasses or ramekins.

   glasses or ramekins

Cool and chill

1. 8

   Let the possets cool at room temperature for 20–30 minutes. This prevents condensation forming on the surface and allows the initial set to begin gently.

   30mroom temperature
2. 9

   Refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, until the posset is fully set and silky.

   4hrefrigerated

Serve

1. 10

   Drizzle a few drops of good olive oil over each posset and add a tiny pinch of flaky salt. Top with fresh berries. A small shortbread biscuit on the side adds a pleasant texture contrast.

   Tip: The olive oil and salt are essential, not decorative — the oil adds savory depth and the salt amplifies every flavour in the posset.