CHERRIES

                                   cooking time: 30 to 45 minutes

            There is a tiny restaurant in Paris near St. Germain des Pres that is always jamb-packed with Parisian locals. That’s always a good sign when you are looking for a reasonably priced restaurant. The name is Machon d’Henri. The kitchen is so small, I think they can only ‘finish’ each order.

            On the first night I ate there, I saw a large jar of what looked like cherries high up on a counter top, and I ordered them for dessert. I was completely floored. They were the best sugared sour cherries in alcohol that I had ever tasted. This recipe is inspired by that dessert. I’ve made a few changes to accommodate what is available in North America. Where the Parisian restaurant used small fresh sour cherries, I used dried cherries, either sour or the black Bing variety. I also added the Port.

            This is a great recipe to make in a large quantity and keep on hand (needs no refrigeration) or transfer into small jars for gifts.

MUSIC: Piano music works well. For the classically minded, Shostakovich Preludes and Fugues, or J.S. Bach: Well tempered Clavier. For jazz lovers, try the SOLO MONK album.

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED:

1. Dried whole cherries, two cups. Any dried cherries will work, but the bigger, the better, and black cherries are exquisite. Taste them to determine how much sugar you will add. The black/Bing cherries are quite sweet.
2. Port wine, 1 bottle. This must be Ruby Port, not Tawny Port. We’re talking cooking Port. The cheapest you can find is perfect.
3. Sugar, not usually more than ½ Cup
4. Vodka (optional), about ½ Cup
5. Glass jars, either quart size or jam jars (8 ounces).

HERE’S WHAT TO DO:

• In a large pot, reconstitute the cherries and sugar in Port wine. Use the whole bottle. I usually bring to boil with the sugar and then let sit, covered until cool.
• Transfer to either large or small glass jars.
• Optional: add a splash or more of vodka to each container.
• Store indefinitely- they get better and better over time.
• Add more alcohol (port or vodka or both) if some evaporates over time.

CADENZA: Serve over vanilla ice cream as an easy, ready-to-go dessert. Also good plain in a bowl or with heavy cream. No need to worry about spoilage. There’s enough sugar and alcohol in this recipe to prevent any kind of spoilage. No refrigeration is needed.

WINE:          A dessert wine will do nicely. Sauterne, Ice wine, Port. If your liver is healthy, move to brandy or cognac.