Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Summer Berries

Place 8 ramekins on a tray or baking sheet. Lightly grease the ramekins with neutral-flavored oil.

To a small bowl, pour ½ cup of the milk. Sprinkle the gelatin over top of the milk and allow the gelatin to dissolve, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add the remaining ½ cup milk, cream, and sugar. Scrape the caviar from the vanilla bean into the pan and add the vanilla bean pod to the pot as well. Bring to a simmer and stir until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the gelatin/milk mixture and bring back up to a simmer, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes. Strain the mixture with a fine mesh sieve, removing the vanilla bean pod and any lumps from the gelatin. Pour the strained mixture evenly into the 8 ramekins. Transfer the ramekins to the refrigerator and chill until set, 4-6 hours.

To a bowl, add the fresh seasonal berries, sugar to taste, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Stir to combine.

To unmold the panna cotta, run a sharp knife carefully around the edge of each ramekin and gently turn them out onto individual serving plates (I found it helped to hold the ramekin at a slight angle above the plate, rather than completely inverted). Top each panna cotta gently with fresh seasonal berries. *The panna cotta can also be served in the ramekins, topped with fresh berries, if you'd prefer to skip the unmolding step.