These haven't been available so far at the regular markets but as part of the opening of the new Piazza San Paolo here in Alba, they have been holding a special two day market called the "Mare del Gusto". It's a celebration of the gastronomy of the Riviera and included products from many Italian regions such as Liguria, Sicily, Trentino Alto Adige and Puglia. These cherries are from Puglia.
Since I'm not sure I'll find more cherries before I leave I've decided to poach mine so they last a little longer. I'm giving them a bit of a kick by infusing them with Grappa - my choice is to use a Grappa di Moscato as this has a lighter and sweeter taste and won't overpower the cherries. You could also try a Grappa di Arneis though I would probably not use a Grappa di Barolo.
500 grams cherries
1 cup water
¾ cup raw caster sugar
½ cup Grappa, approx (I used Grappa di Moscato)
I've left my cherries with the stone intact, only because I don't have a cherry pitter here (it's now been added to the shopping list!)
Put the water and sugar into a saucepan and place over a medium heat - stir until the sugar has dissolved and then let it come to a simmer. Add the cherries and turning the heat down, let them cook for about 5 minutes. At this stage, stir through the Grappa and cook for a minute before turning off the heat and letting the cherries sit in the syrup until they cool completely.
They are ready to use immediately - keep them stored in the fridge.
Just lovely, Haalo. Thank you so much for sharing it with WHB!
ReplyDeleteHow lovely! And how handy to see this recipe. It's almost cherry season here now (the blossoms have just fallen).
ReplyDelete