There were cherry trees in the garden where I used to live. Come July, they were heavy with plump fruit the colour of vamp nail polish. Some years I got the lion’s share, and others the birds beat me to it. Cherries are perfectly delicious plucked straight from the tree, but their intense, bright flavour should be celebrated beyond just pie filling. They have a sweet-sour flavour that is not only irresistible in bakes, it also provides a zippy contrast to rich cheese or fatty meat such as pork and duck. The season is short, so get them while you can.
Sticky five-spice sausages with cherries (pictured top)
This easy traybake is a busy cook’s best friend. The cherries help to make a sweet and acidic sauce that clings alluringly to the sausages.
Prep 20 min
Cook 25 min
Serves 4
8 good-quality pork sausages (duck or lamb sausages also work well)
4 red onions, peeled and cut into thick wedges
1 star anise
1 whole garlic head, cut in half horizontally
1 long red chilli, split in half
2 strips orange rind, pared off with a peeler
Sea salt and black pepper
1 heaped tsp five-spice powder
1 tbsp neutral oil, such as rapeseed
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp soy sauce
100ml Shaoxing wine, or dry sherry
250g black cherries, halved and stoned
Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Put the sausages, onions, star anise, garlic, chilli and orange peel into a roasting tin, season, then sprinkle the five-spice powder on top. Drizzle over the oil, toss until well coated, then roast for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Mix the maple syrup, soy, Shaoxing wine and 50ml water in a bowl. Scatter the cherries over the mixture in the sausage tin, then pour over the liquid from the bowl. Turn up the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 and cook for a further 10–12 minutes, until nicely browned and caramelised.
Serve the sausages with rice or vegetables or scoop them into hotdog rolls.
Balsamic roast cherries with burrata and mint
The application of heat to cherries makes them relinquish their sweet, aromatic juices with little resistance, making an ideal dressing for a rich, creamy cheese such as burrata.
Prep 15 min
Cook 25 min
Infuse 30 min
Serves 2–3 as a starter
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 banana shallot, peeled and finely chopped
1 sprig rosemary
300g cherries, halved and stoned
40ml balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 tbsp soft brown sugar
Sea salt and black pepper
1 ball of burrata (or mozzarella di bufala)
A pinch of sumac
25g toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
A few mint leaves, torn
Put the olive oil in a saucepan on a low–medium heat and saute the shallot with the sprig of rosemary until tender and just beginning to turn golden. Add the cherries, vinegar, pomegranate molasses and sugar, bring to a simmer and cook until the cherries are tender. Season , take off the heat, leave to infuse for half an hour, then lift out and discard the rosemary.
Take the burrata out of the fridge at least 20 minutes before serving. Put the cheese on a platter, season with salt, pepper and a pinch of sumac, then spoon the cherry mixture over and around. Scatter over the hazelnuts, tear on a few mint leaves and serve.
Cherry ricotta crumble cake
This adaptable cake can be made with almost any stone fruit. Serve by itself with a cup of tea, or with custard or cream to make it more of a pudding.
Prep 30 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 6
250g cherries, pitted
25g caster sugar
2 tbsp kirsch or amaretto (optional)
For the crumble
150g plain flour
100g chilled butter, plus extra for greasing
100g golden caster sugar
A pinch of sea salt
45g flaked almonds
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
For the sponge
1 whole egg plus 2 egg yolks
175g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, scraped
75g butter, melted and cooled, plus a little extra for greasing
100g ricotta
1 tbsp kirsch, or amaretto (optional)
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
150g plain flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
A fat pinch of salt
Single cream or custard, to serve
This adaptable cake can be made with almost any stone fruit. Serve by itself with a cup of tea, or with custard or cream to make it more of a pudding.
Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Lightly butter and line a 23cm cake tin with greaseproof paper.
Put the cherries, sugar, kirsch and 50ml water in a suacepan, bring to a boil and simmer for five minutes, until the cherries are tender but still hold their shape. Take off the heat and put to one side.
For the crumble topping, rub the flour and butter together between your fingertips to a breadcrumb-like consistency, then mix in the sugar, salt, almonds and lemon zest. Chill until needed.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the whole egg, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla until pale and thick. Slowly add the cooled melted butter, followed by the ricotta, kirsch (if using) and lemon zest, and beat again. Once the batter is smooth, fold through the flour, baking powder and salt, then spoon into the lined tin and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Dot the cherries all over the surface, then cover them evenly with the crumble mixture.
Cook in the middle of the oven for 25–30 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the cake tin, then take out of the tin, slice and serve.
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