Stone fruits come into their own during the warmer months of summer but our climate still isn’t really warm enough for the likes of peaches and nectarines, although there is now a small but significant crop of British apricots. Cherries, however, we do have, although the volume of cherry orchards is much lower than it used to be. The outlook is improving, though, and the harvest of cherries is at a thirty-year high according to some reports. Many cherries are now grown in polytunnels with modern varieties grafted onto dwarf root stock, which makes the harvesting much easier than on traditional varieties.
This contemporary recipe brings in some of the flavours of a classic gâteau, with the cherries being a good foil for the light, white chocolate mousse. Adding a few chocolate shavings and some small cubes of chocolate brownie to the dish jumps this right into Black Forest territory.
SERVES 6
For the mousse
220g good-quality white chocolate
130ml double cream
1 leaf of gelatine, soaked in cold water
210ml double cream plus 1½ tbsp semi-skimmed milk, whipped to very soft peaks
For the compote
400g cherries, halved and stoned (retain a few for garnish)
2–3 tbsp caster sugar, depending on the tartness of the cherries
50ml port
1 tsp good balsamic vinegar
½ tsp cornflour, dissolved in 1 tbsp cold water
To serve
dark and white chocolate shavings
30 small cubes of chocolate brownie or chocolate cake
1. For the mousse, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl either on a low setting in the microwave or over a pan of gently simmering water. Bring the cream (130ml) to a simmer, remove from the heat and add the soaked gelatine. Stir to dissolve the gelatine.
2. Gently whisk the cream mix into the white chocolate to form a ganache. Check that the temperature is around 35–40°C and then fold in the whipped cream/milk. Pour into glasses and allow to set in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
3. To make the compote, combine three-quarters of the cherries in a pan with the sugar, port and vinegar. Cook over a medium heat until the cherries are tender and the juices have thickened. If the cherries are cooked before the liquid has thickened, spoon them out into a bowl with a slotted spoon and continue to reduce the liquid. Once reduced, return the cherries to the pan. Turn off the heat and leave to sit for 30 minutes. More juice will be released from the fruit. Rewarm and thicken the juices with the cornflour. Chill and then add the raw cherries.
4. To serve, place 5 cubes of brownie into each glass, then spoon on the cherries allowing them to cascade down onto the mousse. Finish with a few chocolate shavings scraped from the back of a bar with a small knife.