Braiden Rex-Johnson Shares a Recipe for Cherries in Red Wine
Good news for fresh cherry lovers! There’s been a bumper crop of the brilliant beauties in the Yakima Valley this year. With the harvest peaking early in August, there’s never been a better time to combine fresh cherries and red wine to make a simple cherry-rich dessert.
The recipe for Kay’s Cherries in Red Wine comes from none other than Kay Simon, co-owner with her husband Clay Mackey, of Chinook Wines, in Prosser, Washington, the heart of Washington cherry country. Not only is Kay a talented winemaker, but a gifted cook who uses the foods of the season to create inspired original recipes.
You’ll find her recipe for Cherry-Marinated Game Hens, along with a complete profile and photos, in my book, Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining: The People, Places, Food, and Drink of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia (Wiley, 2007).
Here, Kay marinates fresh summer cherries in a Merlot-Brandy syrup flavored with cinnamon and lemon. The cherries make a lovely topping for store-bought or homemade sponge cake or chocolate cake. Or simply enjoy them with a dollop of crème fraîche and a glass of Ruby Port, whose berry notes mirror the berry flavors in the marinated fruit.
I’m a big fan of Ruby Port, and reach for the following bottles time and again. Three Muses Ruby Port is produced by Mike Wallace, long-time winemaker and owner of Hinzerling Winery, which is located right down the road from Chinook Wines! It’s fun (and delicious!) to eat foods and drink wines produced within the same terroir.
Stepping out of the region just a bit, Wind River Cellars Port of Celilo is a luscious mouthful produced by Joel Goodwillie in the Washington-State side of the Columbia Gorge from prime Celilo Vineyard grapes.
Graham’s Six Grapes is another fave, a multi-award-winning, reasonably priced option from Portugal that bills itself as “the everyday Port for the Vintage Port drinker.” Kay’s Cherries in Red Wine
Varietal: Dessert Wine (Ruby Port)
Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 cups Merlot or other dry red wine
1 cup granulated sugar
1 3-inch cinnamon stick
Zest of 1 medium lemon
Juice of 1/2 medium lemon
2 tablespoons Brandy
2 pounds fresh Bing or sweet cherries, rinsed, patted dry, and pitted
Homemade or store-bought sponge or chocolate cake
Crème fraîche
Fresh mint sprigs
Directions:
1. In a small, nonreactive saucepan combine the Merlot, sugar, cinnamon stick, lemon zest, lemon juice, and Brandy until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid reduces slightly and reaches a light syrup-y consistency, 20 minutes. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick and cool the syrup.
2. Place the cherries in a medium nonreactive bowl with a tight lid and pour the cooled syrup over them. Cover and marinate the cherries at least 1/2 hour and up to 2 hours at room temperature, turning several times. For longer storage, place the cherries in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
3. To serve, slice the cake and position the slices in dessert bowls or wine goblets. Divide the cherries and syrup over the slices, add a dollop of crème fraîche, and top with the mint sprigs.
Photo of Braiden by Ingrid Pape-Sheldon
Eric Degerman on August 21, 2009 at 02:59 PM
Hey, I've got a jar of those in my cupboard. Double hey, I didn't know you ever let your hair down! Shouldn't it be in a hair net when you are in the kitchen?