Serve this confit as a speedy but impressive dessert or with the cheese course. Serve over ice cream, to accompany a simple cake or fill small cooked tart cases with mascarpone and place a spoonful on top. It is also delicious served with a vanilla panna cotta or on toast with soft goat’s cheese or cream cheese.
INGREDIENTS
350 grams firm, unblemished cherries
½ vanilla pod
1 cup caster sugar
1 cup water
wide strips of lemon peel from 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
1 cinnamon stick
To serve
1-2 whole ricotta, I used Clevedon Valley Buffalo Ricotta
METHOD
Halve and stone the cherries. Cut the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with the tip of a knife. Put the vanilla pod and seeds in a small saucepan with all the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Don’t use a large saucepan or the liquid will reduce too quickly – the confit needs long, slow cooking. Cook over a low heat for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the cherries are glossy and the liquid has reduced to a sticky, thick syrup. A simmer mat is ideal for this. Cool then transfer to a sterilized glass jar, seal and refrigerate. The confit will keep for several weeks in the fridge. Makes about 1½ cups
Cook’s tip: To pit cherries cut around the circumference and twist the two halves in opposite directions. Pull out the pit.
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Issue 128
This winter issue of dish is about comfort and connection. Celebrating the best of New Zealand and Australian produce, it brings together recipes from some of our most-loved chefs, including Moroccan Chicken Soup, Mint-glazed Roasted Leg of Lamb, Slow Cooker Braised Red Wine and Miso White Chocolate Cheesecake. Find plenty to carry you through the colder months, from flaky sausage rolls and mushroom pie, to soul-soothing pasta, nostalgic baking, weekend market inspiration and dinner party menus. There’s a spotlight on the Outstanding Food Producer Awards, recipes from Caroline Griffiths’ Midnight Spaghetti, and a deep dive into the difference between Kiwi syrah and Aussie shiraz.