persian pomegranate soup

Ash-e Anār

I first heard of this Persian soup when a friend gave me the gorgeously designed 2006 Marsha Mehran novel called Pomegranate Soup.

Despite my lukewarm response to the book, I had an overwhelming urge to slurp down this sour, tangy soup rich with Middle Eastern flavours and aromas.

When I finally made it, I wasn’t disappointed. The pomegranates give it a sour, earthy flavour and the lamb adds intensity and richness.

This type of Iranian stew is thick and hearty with chunky ingredients. I highly recommend it.

Persian Pomegranate Soup (Ash-e Anar)

Anna’s adaptation of various bloggers' recipes. Serves 4.

Ingredients:
1kg lamb, diced
2 onions, thinly diced
6 garlic cloves
½ cup yellow split peas
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 cinnamon stick
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups (1 litre) beef stock
2 cups (500ml) water
½ cup parsley & coriander tender stems, very finely chopped
¼ cup fresh mint, chopped
1 small beetroot, peeled & diced finely
¼ cup basmati rice
2 cups pomegranate juice*
¼ cup pomegranate molasses
1 cup green scallions, chopped
½ cup fresh coriander, chopped
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds for garnish
1 tablespoon fresh coriander, chopped for garnish
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped for garnish
1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped for garnish

Method:
1. In a large pot, brown the lamb in batches and then set aside,

2. Next add in the onion and garlic cloves and cook until tender.

3. Add in split peas, salt, black pepper, turmeric, cinnamon stick and Aleppo pepper and stir for a minute.

4. Add stock and 2 cups water. Bring to the boil then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

5. Stir in rice, mint, parsley and coriander stems and beetroot. Simmer, partially covered, for another 20 minutes.

6. Add the lamb and its juices, the pomegranate juice and pomegranate molasses. Simmer for 10 minutes.

7. Taste soup to balance out sweet and sour. Add more pomegranate juice (or lemon juice) to increase acidity or a little sugar for sweetness.

8. Add scallions (green parts), coriander, parsley and lemon zest and simmer for another 5 minutes until herbs have wilted slightly.

9. Ladle soup into serving bowls then garnish with pomegranate seeds and fresh herbs.

Note: *I managed to get around 2 cups from 3 very large and juicy pomegranates.


This recipe, with pomegranate as the theme ingredient, is my contribution to Weekend Herb Blogging hosted by Simona from Briciole.

capital grill & pomegranates

When I was invited to Capital Grill, in Sydney’s Circular Quay, I have to admit I hadn’t heard of it.

It was in a familiar building, The Gateway, where I’d had many meetings but the grill itself hadn’t been there before.

What a difference its arrival has made to the area, providing a long open bar protected from the elements yet open to the breeze coming off the Harbour. It was clear from the tables filled with suits that it was a popular spot for a post-work drink and meal. I imagine the business lunch crowd would be equally enamoured.

Is that an angel with halo & wings? 
No it's Chef Mike delivering my dinner!

The Restaurant Manager (Ron) and Chef (Mike) made Jonas and I right at home for the special pomegranate tasting menu we were there to sample. True hospitality.

Our amuse bouche to start was a beautiful, strong flavoured Berkshire sausage on radicchio with slices of creamy, fresh avocado, glistening pomegranate jewels and tangy aioli. The flavours were well-balanced with no bitterness from the raw radicchio. Jonas loved this so much he wanted to order a side of Berkshire sausage!

Sydney Rock Oysters ($3.80 ea)
Freshly shucked w pomegranate granita, cracked pepper

Next up were lovely Sydney rock oysters from Foster, served natural with a simple pomegranate granita flecked with freshly milled black pepper and finely diced shallots. It was sweet but still had an acidity which matched well with the oysters. These were the first raw oysters that Jonas actually liked, which I should add had been perfectly back shucked (from the hinge). Too often in this city oysters are shucked from the brittle end of their shells leaving unpleasant shards for diners. It’s wonderful when a kitchen takes the time and effort to undertake the more difficult but ultimately more rewarding back shuck.

Back shuck . . . does that sound rude? Ahem, moving right along.

House Cured Atlantic Salmon ($18)
Pomegranate, crisp caper aioli, potato thins, shaved fennel

Cured Atlantic salmon was exquisitely flavoured, the fattiness of the fish perfect against thin slices of waxy kipfler potato, briny capers and crunchy shaved fennel. Aioli laced the plate, again accompanied by bejewelled pomegranate seeds. I enjoyed this so much more than I thought I would.

But then again, I love pomegranate anything!

Grilled Kingfish ($30)
Crisp bacon, spring peas, bouillabaisse sauce

In addition to the pomegranate menu, the chef added an extra course of grilled kingfish. It was a mild flavoured fish with a robust seafood sauce, texture from the peas and a wonderful sweet smokiness from the crisp pieces of speck.

This came with a side of steamed broccoli with sugar snap peas and garlic confit ($8).

Mango Martini ($17)
Fresh mango and grapefruit, pomegranate frozen vodka liqueur

We were almost too full for the dessert, but the light fruity option was a perfect finish. Served in a martini glass, fresh slippery cubes of mango flesh were served alongside bitter pink grapefruit segments that had been doused in icy cold pomegranate vodka. The macerate fruit was topped with a rich cream, heavily laden with vanilla beans, the white dollop flecked with millions of tiny black specks.

With this we were sated and leant back into our chairs to rub our bellies and chat to Chef Mike who confessed he had been a food blogger too (Scallops & Pancetta) before this chef role took up all his time. Perhaps that’s why he and his crew were so relaxed with me snapping away at all the food that hit my table.

After such a lovely, relaxing meal and drinks we discovered that everything was entirely on the house. We knew some of it would be “gifted” but not everything (wow, thank you)!

With that in mind, we made sure we left a good tip. That’s only fair, afterall.


Morsels & Musings dined courtesy of Capital Grill and POM Wonderful.

Capital Grill
The Gateway Building, 1 Macquarie Place
Circular Quay, Sydney
www.capitalgrill.com.au

rhubarb & strawberry w chocolate custard

I know I’ve been remiss. It’s been 14 days since my last post.

So here’s something to sweeten you up. Luscious vanilla-scented rhubarb and strawberry puree with a thick, rich intensely chocolate custard.

Served with palmiers, it's bloody great.

Vanilla, Rhubarb & Strawberry Compote
w Chocolate Custard

Vanilla, Rhubarb & Strawberry Compote
Anna’s very own recipe. Makes 300ml.

Ingredients:
1 vanilla pod
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
5 stalks rhubarb, chopped into small pieces
200g strawberries, hulled and chopped

Method:
1. Slice vanilla pod in half lengthways, scrape out seeds and put in pot. Add pod as well.
2. To pot, add rhubarb and sugar and a little water.
3. Heat gently until sugar dissolves and rhubarb starts to produce its own liquid.
4. Add a little more water and half the strawberries and cook until rhubarb softens further.
5. Mash rhubarb into purée, then add remaining strawberries pieces and water if you feel the mixture is too dry.
6. Cook until strawberries soften slightly, but you want them to hold their shape to create texture to the purée.
7. Remove from heat and cool. Remove vanilla pod before serving.

Chocolate Custard
Anna’s very own recipe. Makes 1 litre.

Ingredients:
180g dark chocolate
2 cups milk
1 cup cream
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon cornflour
¼ cup sugar

Method:
1. In a bowl, combine egg yolks and cornflour into a paste.
2. In a saucepan, heat milk, sugar, cream and chocolate over a medium heat until chocolate melts and mixture almost comes to a slow boil.
3. Whisking continually (to ensure the eggs don’t scramble), pour the hot chocolate mixture onto the eggs a little at a time. Fully combine then return to the saucepan.
4. Heat mixture, stirring continuously, until it thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
5. Eat hot or chilled (chilled version thickens even further).

wild rabbit, green olive & marjoram pappardelle

Kung Hei Fat Choy / Gong Xi Far Tsai !

Today is the first day of Chinese New Year and therefore the first day of the Year of the Rabbit.

My city council has listed some of the important customs of the Chinese New Year:

• Greet people with "Kung Hei Fat Choy", or "Gong Xi Far Tsai" (Happy New Year) to bring good fortune and prosperity.
• Keeping an empty seat at the table to symbolise the presence of family members who can't be there.
• In the lead up, clean your house to sweep out the bad luck of the previous year but don't clean on New Years Day or you'll sweep away the good luck of the new year.
• Let the old year out by opening every door and window in the house on the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve.
• Pay off all debts and cast all grudges aside.
• Do not use knives or scissors on New Year's Day as this may cut off fortune.
• On New Year's Day wear new clothes and be on your best behaviour, as actions on this day set the tone for the year to follow.
• Ward off bad luck by draping red cloth on your doorway.
• The Kitchen God, the guardian of the family hearth, will be reporting to heaven on the behaviour of the family over the past year, so make sure you feed him with sweet foods and honey to ensure he says sweet things about you.

I love the idea that I have a Kitchen God!

There are twelve signs in the Chinese zodiac, but only six are edible (according to moi).

I demonstrated this with seven days of pork recipes to bring in the Year of the Pig back in 2007, but unfortunately I didn’t get my act together for the Year of the Ox back in 2009.

This year I won’t be caught out and am offering up this sumptuous rabbit pasta, care of Mr Jamie Oliver.

I’m still not sure whether cooking the animal of honour is sacrilegious or not, but since no one has told me otherwise I suppose I can look forward to greeting in 2012 and the Year of the.....Dragon!

The flavours of this dish are herbal and comforting.

It’s easy to make, but it does involve a lot of steps and waiting period for marinating and roasting and cooling and reducing and boiling.

But it’s worth it.

Pappardelle w Wild Rabbit, Green Olives & Marjoram

Ingredients:
1 wild rabbit, jointed
Olive oil
2 knobs butter
Few sprigs fresh thyme, picked over (reserve some for serving)
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 cloves garlic
3 wineglasses white wine
600g pappardelle pasta
Small handful green olives, stoned and roughly chopped
Bunch of fresh marjoram
Handful freshly grated Parmesan
Zest of ½ orange or lemon (optional)

Marinade
Small bunch of fresh thyme, picked over
6 cloves garlic, crushed
Glug of olive oil
Zest of 1 lemon

Method:

1. The night before, mix the marinade ingredients together and rub them all over the rabbit pieces. Leave them to marinate overnight in the fridge (can be left like this for up to 2 days for a stronger flavour).

2. Preheat oven to 180’C and in a large, heavy-bottomed ovenproof saucepan, heat some olive oil and a knob of butter.

3. Season rabbit with salt and pepper then add to the pan and brown for a couple of minutes on each side until golden.

4. Add thyme, rosemary and garlic cloves then stir and add wine to almost cover the meat.

5. Cover with lid then cook in the oven for 2 hours or until the meat pulls away from the bone easily. Cool meat in juices.

6. When cool, shred the meat with your hands into 2.5cm strips and discard bones.

7. Remove the rosemary, thyme and garlic and heat to reduce juices to slightly thickened liquor (add optional tomatoes here).

8. Turn heat to low and add marjoram, olives and shredded meat. Stir and season to taste.

9. Boil pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and reserve a little cooking water.

10. Turn up heat under meat sauce and toss through remaining knob of butter, orange/lemon zest (optional) and cooked pappardelle. You may need to add a little pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce.

11. Serve immediately with reserved thyme leaves.

Variation: in the photo in the cookbook, the juices are quite red which leads me to believe a tomato was added somewhere along the process. I added two chopped, skinned tomatoes when I reduced the juices and they broke down perfectly.

This is my contribution to Presto Pasta Nights founded and hosted by Ruth from Once Upon A Feast

~~~

This is a short shout out to Ms Correct, who loves a good bunny and adores pappardelle. Let's just hope her fiance 007 can tear himself away from bombing small villages and assassinating dictators to get his ass back to Oz sometime soon. You heard me B-Rad! Put down that Blackberry / MI5 receiver and get on a plane!!!

try this! summer thirst quenchers

I know I'm sticking to the drink theme but Sydney has been steaming hot over the past few weeks, just when our air conditioner called it quits and started coughing up water in a steady stream. Not happy.

I have wilted and Jonas has positively melted into the Emperor of Grumpiness.

Naturally, this has made me very, very thirsty and I’ve found myself pondering cool, tall drinks much more than I normally would.

I’ve decided to share some of my drinks-of-choice with you, and hope that you too find thirst quenching joy from these refreshing beverages.

Bickford Ice Tea Mixers
These are delicious. With chilled soda water, these mixer scan turn any frown up-side-down. They come in lemon, mango and (my pick) peach.

Kopparberg Pear Cider
Whenever I taste this cider, images of Swedish summer flood my mind. The flavour is light and sweet and definitively pear, but not sickly like Rekorderlig cider (another Swedish brand on the market). My favourite Swedish cider is actually Kiviks Fläderblomscider (halvtorr) which is a semi-dry elderflower cider. But until they sell that here in Australia, I'm sticking to the Kopparberg pear.

Maggie Beer's Sparkling Ruby Cabernet
A glorious drink with all the adult pleasures of wine and none of the hangover. Read more here.

Cusumano Insolia
Made from the little-known insolia grape, this Sicilian wine will electrify you with its utter awesomeness, considering its incredibly cheap price (approx $11). Like all good Sicilian white wines, you can taste the sunshine, making it perfect for a summer afternoon.

Boylans Cane Sugar Sodas
How can anyone complain when sodas start coming in wonderful flavours like grape, black cherry and orange cream (truly exotic in Australia). These gourmet American soda pops are made from pressed cane sugar juice rather than corn syrup, and this hasn’t changed since they started way back in 1891. Stay tuned for their signature Red Birch Beer which will hopefully be released in Australia soon.

Happy Lemon
This Hong Kong bubble tea vendor is pumping out some pretty interesting drinks that put Easy Way to shame. My pick, Lemon Pineapple with Nata de Coco, is delicious but very tame given other options like grapefruit coffee, perilla juice, seaweed jelly, yakult mousse and rock salt cheese.

Kalimotxo
A Basque drink perfect for afternoons spent outdoors or on the beach. 50-50 red wine and cola sounds terrible, but it turns out to be a match made in summery heaven and, given that each ingredient masks the other, you can use the cheap stuff.

Lingonberry Cordial
While many late adopters are only just coming to terms with the heady-scents of elderflower cordial, another Nordic treat is already here and awaiting your homage. Also known as cowberries, lingon are similar to cranberries but with a slightly sweeter edge. They make a mean daiquiri too.

Dr Pepper
I can never quite understand why Dr Pepper isn’t a big hit in Australia. Aussies just hate the taste. Why? I don't understand! It’s friggin’ delicious! Jonas and I both love Dr Pepper and I think it tastes like a cross between a cherry soda and a vanilla cola.

Yuzu Slushie at Ms G's
If you’re in Sydney and living under a rock, Ms G’s is the latest star in the Merivale constellation and has been modelled on NYC’s über-cool Momofuku. I have been there so many times the waitstaff recognise me. Why? The absolutely divine slushies made from yuzu, a Japanese citrus fruit, as well as vodka, limoncello and orange bitters. I can’t even begin to explain how out-of-control delicious these slushies are, not to mention tres chic with their bubble tea wrappers. Get one for yourself and you’ll understand.

Happy drinking!

croatian summer, a cocktail

With the warm weather I've been making all kinds of cooling, blended drinks.

This one can either be a simple drink or can be turned into a cocktail by adding šljìvovica, a Damson plum brandy from the Balkans and most of central/eastern Europe.

What kind of cocktails do you like to drink in the heat?

Croatian Summer

Anna's very own recipe. Makes 1 very tall drink.

Ingredients:
3 ripe plums, halved & pitted
45ml šljìvovica
45ml sugar syrup
35ml lemon juice
Cup of ice
Cup of soda water

Method:
1. Purée plums with the šljìvovica, sugar syrup and lemon juice.
2. Add ice and blend.
3. Add soda water into blender, stir, then pour into serving glass.

orange cakes w figs, quince & rose

Happy Australia Day!

This is my 600th post since I started this blog in May 2006, so I’m celebrating with one of my favourite and most elegant recreations: replicas of Orange Cake w Persian Fig & Quince from Newtown’s Black Star Pastry.

Black Star Pastry is an amazing little café / patisserie with very pretty little cakes and cookies and great coffee. If you’re ever in Newtown you must make a pit stop to refuel on Lamb Shank & Red Wine Pies, Spinach & Mushroom Pithiviers, Earl Grey Macarons, Lemon Meringue w Basil Jelly or Strawberry, Watermelon & Rose Cake. Delish.

I made these gorgeous little cupcakes for Tia Bicky’s birthday after I promised her that if she stuck to her cholesterol reduction diet I’d make her this pretty cake as a reward.

It was amazingly easy to make and assemble, but was extraordinarily delicious.

I rate this as one of the best cupcakes I have ever made. I’m told Tia’s work colleagues loved them too.

Today marks the 223rd year since King George III sent Captain Arthur Phillip and the First Fleet to set up a little penal colony on the ass-end of the earth.

Australia is a strange place. It’s big, it’s empty and it’s harsh. (sounds like a 4WD ad)

Aussies regularly call Australia the “lucky country” in reference to all things favourable about our island home. What many Aussies don’t realise was that this is part of a quote from the 1964 book "The Lucky Country" by Donald Horne, and that the author was being ironic and actually critical of Australia. Horne argued that while most industrialised nations created wealth by the intelligence of it’s population and the development of innovative technology, Australia just relied on its rich natural resources. The full quote is actually “Australia is a lucky country, run by second-rate people who share its luck”.

Yep. Quote reference fail, big time.

Over the last 20yrs, Australia has transformed from a backwater, with a serious lack of imagination beyond a narrow Anglo-Celtic heritage, to a vibrant and multifaceted hub that I’m proud to hail from.

In 2001 my home, Sydney, gives me a wonderful lifestyle in a multicultural, cosmopolitan city. But I can’t help wondering why, when my ancestors got their first look at this place, they didn’t turn around and high tail it back to where ever they came from.

We have three levels of government in Australia: local, state and federal. One thing I am particularly proud of at the moment is that every single person representing me in my political system, in all three levels of Government, is a woman. It’s pretty amazing and I'm proud to see it happen:

Local Government
Clover Moore, Mayor of the City of Sydney (first woman elected into this position)

State Government
Carmel Tebbutt, Member for Marrickville (and Deputy Premier)
Kristina Keneally, Premier of NSW (first woman to hold this position)
Marie Bashir, Governor of NSW (first woman to hold this position)

Federal Government
Tanya Plibersek, Member for Sydney
Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia (first woman to hold this position)
Quentin Bryce, Governor-General of Australia (first woman to hold this position)
Queen Elizabeth II

Yes, the Queen of Britain is also the Queen of Australia. But for how much longer...? I'm referencing republicanism here peoples, not regicide.

Alright, enough about Australia. Oprah has promoted Australia pretty heavily recently, so I can take a break.

What you’re really reading this blog for is the food!

Persian Orange Cakes w Figs, Quince & Rose

Anna’s recreation of the Black Star Pastry cake. Makes 12 cakes.

Ingredients:
Middle Eastern Orange Cake batter (from my recipe index)
50g quince paste, cut into small cubes
4-6 dried figs, quartered
12 pistachio nuts, blanched & quartered
1 tablespoon dried rose petals
185g butter, softened
2 ¼ cups icing sugar mixture
2 tablespoon natural yoghurt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon lemon zest

Method:

1. Make orange cake as per this previously posted recipe, only use cupcake or friand tins.

2. When cakes have cooled, make the icing by beating the butter until pale. Gradually add icing sugar mixture yoghurt, lemon juice and zest. Beat until combined.

3. Assemble cakes by topping with lemon yoghurt frosting, then decorating with pieces of quince paste, figs, pistachios and rose petals.

Note: for dried rose petals and pistachios, I recommend Pariya products.

hot smoked mackerel

As I browsed aimlessly through the shops yesterday, I noticed that the fishmonger was almost giving away bright, shiny mackerel at a mere A$2.50 per kilo! Outrageously cheap!

I snapped up two with the intention of bonding over the smoker with Jonas, whose loves mackerel as all good Swedes should.

My first ever experience with fresh mackerel was in June 2008 during our sailing adventure along the Swedish west coast. Jonas and his mum threw baitless hooks into the sea to test the line, then pulled it up with five fat fish already attached! We didn’t even need to fish after that!

This recipe was our first real attempt at smoking anything, part of my 2011 Food Challenges, and it was an absolute success. We now have four (oh Jonas!) three fillets of sweet, smoky, juicy fish to eat throughout the week.

If you’re thinking about smoking yourself, I highly recommend our compact Nipper Kipper smoker which is the perfect size and allow us to smoke food on our inner city apartment balcony. It’s very small and tidy, so doesn’t take up any space on our balcony, and yet each shelf is big enough for four fillets of fish. Frankly, I couldn’t be happier with it.

The Nipper Kipper is made from galvanised steel, cost us about A$50 and came with a burner, two internal shelves and some wood dust to start us off. We paid an extra A$14 for a stand to keep the hot elements off the balcony tiles. You can get a slightly more expensive version in stainless steel too.

Hot Smoked Mackerel

Recipe based on this and this. Makes 4 fillets.

Ingredients:
1kg blue mackerel (about 2 fish)
50g (⅓ cup) brown sugar
50g (¼ cup) fine salt
1 litre water

Equipment:
Smoker
Smoking dust
Metholated spirits

Method:

1. Wash the mackerel then fillet. Pull out the more obvious bones with tweezers but don’t worry too much because after they cook it’s easier to debone.

2. Prepare the brine mix by stirring the sugar, salt and water. You can also add other ingredients at this stage, like garlic or onion powder, pepper, bay leaves, spices etc. Mix until the sugar and salt are dissolved.

3. Lay the fillets skin side up in a ceramic dish then cover with brine and allow to rest in a cool place for 2 hours.

4. Remove the fillets and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Some people even go as far as to give them some time under a cold fan to make sure they’re extra dry as you want as little moisture in the smoker as possible.

5. Prepare your smoker as per the manufacturer’s instructions. Cook for 20 minutes. Things to note:
- We used 1 tablespoon each (so that’s 3 tablespoons in total) of Australian native woods, American hickory and a rum drenched dust. If you’re not sure, I’d stick to pure hickory and only use 1 tablespoon.
- Oil the grill racks to prevent sticking (we used cooking spray).
- Cook the fish skin side down on the racks.
- Don't try to pack the smoker with too many fillets or it will generate too much moisture which prevents proper cooking. Better to do them in batches if you want to make a lot.

6. Cool the fish, wrap tightly and refrigerate.

Storage: Lasts up to a week in fridge or a few months in the freezer (where I’m told the texture won’t change upon defrosting).

Note: Blue mackerel is also sold as "slimy mackerel".

cherry & chipotle barbecue sauce

(Final) Day 7 of Seven Days of Cherries!

Once upon a time, no one in Australia had any idea what a chipotle was. I was lucky enough to have an American father who introduced them to me in my youth, as well as some Mexican pals who reminded me about these wonderful little gems and even showed me where to buy some (from the shop across the street from my house!!!).

These days chipotles are fast becoming a trendy item in Aussie restaurants, part of a resurgence in North American dishes and a new interest in Latin American cooking.

Chipotles, as I am sure I’ve blogged many times before, are smoked jalapeño chillies. They are spicy but they are also incredibly smoky and sweet, and are perfect for flavouring sauces.

Personally I love chipotles en adobo, which means they come in a can of sauce typically made from tomato, paprika, onions, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves and oregano. The chillies are already reconstituted and don’t need to be soaked back into softness, and the sauce has made them a little sour.

This sauce was very easy to make, even if it does contain loads of ingredients. You could cut out or add your own bits and pieces. Basically this is a sauce made from whatever is in the fridge and cupboard. The important part to remember is balancing the sweet and the acidity, so you end up with an even flavour.

I gave a bottle of this to my father for Christmas and kept a smaller bottle for my husband. It’s perfect for sticky ribs, barbecued meat and toasted sandwiches.

Cherry & Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

Anna’s very own recipe. Makes approx. 1 litre.

Ingredients:
1kg (2.2 lbs) cherries
1 white onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 chipotle chillies in adobo, finely chopped
Olive oil, for cooking

2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
¼ cup tomato paste

800g (1.8lbs) canned crushed tomatoes
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup kecap manis (thick, sweet soy sauce)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon HP sauce
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Method:

1. Pit and chop cherries.

2. Heat olive oil and sauté onion until softened but not brown.

3. Add garlic and chipotle chillies and fry until soft too.

4. Next add the paprika, ground cumin and ground coriander and stir through.

5. Add the tomato paste and fry until thickened.

6. Add the remaining ingredients (cherries, canned tomatoes, ketchup, kecap manis, maple syrup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, HP sauce, apple cider vinegar and balsamic vinegar).

7. Stir well and then simmer down for 20 minutes until reduced slightly and thickened. Taste to ensure sweetness and acidity is well balanced.

8. Blend into a puree in a processor or blender. While still hot, poor into glass bottles and seal.

This is my last cherry post after seven days of pure cherry recipes:
• Cherry, Feta & Oregano Salad
• Cherry Almond Shake
• Pickled Cherries
• Cherry & Vanilla Jam
• Cherry Vinegar
• Cherries in Amaretto Syrup
• Cherry & Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

With my theme ingredient being cherries (of course!) this is also my contribution to Weekend Herb Blogging hosted by Cinzia from Cindystar.

cherries in amaretto syrup

Day 6 of Seven Days of Cherries

Suddenly I have changed from detesting almond and marzipan flavours to adoring them.

I think it was the amaretto pannacotta at Manta that finally turned me, but I had been clearly heading that way to even order it in the first place.

This simple recipe is a testament to my newfound love. Sweet spiked almond syrup is a lovely match to fresh or poached cherries.

Don’t make the mistake I did for my first batch by not adding enough amaretto and not refrigerating these beauties. The two jars I gifted to friends turned into fermented messes for the garbage, not the beautiful desserts I enjoyed though my second attempt.

Cherries in Amaretto Syrup

Anna’s adaptation of this recipe. Makes 2 jars.

Ingredients:
½ cup sugar
¼ cup water
½ cup amaretto
2-3 cups cherries

Method:
1. Give each cherry a shallow cut to allow the syrup to permeate.
2. Pack cherries tightly into preserving jars, trying to fill all the spaces.
3. In a saucepan, stir the water and sugar over a medium heat until sugar dissolves.
4. Boil syrup for 2-5 minutes until it thickens slightly. Remove from heat
5. Pour the amaretto into the syrup, stir then pour over cherries.
6. Seal the jars tightly then allow to cool to room temperature before refrigerating.
Note: Eat within a few days (2-4) of making. Serve over vanilla yoghurt or ice cream.

cherry vinegar

Day 5 of Seven Days of Cherries

You could hardly say I “cooked” this next recipe but the results are quite superb.

Overuse of balsamic vinegar in my home has led me to dislike this sweet, syrup Italian gem. While Jonas laps it up like mother’s milk, I rarely touch the stuff these days.

But this new version might entice me again.

By steeping smashed up cherries in supermarket balsamic, you end up with a brightened version that’s thick with cherry colour and flavours.

Use in place of regular balsamic for salads, bread or over fresh berries.

Cherry Vinegar

Taken from this recipe. Makes 600ml or so.

Ingredients:
2 cups (approximately) smashed ripe cherries, with pits
500ml inexpensive balsamic vinegar

Method:
1. Smash up the cherries (with pits) and pour them and their juices into a sealable glass jar.
2. Cover with vinegar, seal and steep for two weeks, agitating every second day or so.
3. Strain and pour into a bottle for long term storage.

cherry & vanilla jam

Day 4 of Seven Days of Cherries

Cherry and vanilla is a match made in heaven.

They work so well together because the kernels inside cherry pits have a natural almond-vanilla flavour. The spice mahlab (also known as mahleb, or mahlepi) is actually made from the dried kernels of St Lucie cherry pits and it’s traditionally been used to flavour breads and desserts in the Middle East, Mediterranean and Levant the same way Europeans use vanilla.

There are loads of cherry jams out there, but my favourite two recipes probably come from Not Quite Nigella and David Lebovitz because they are easy to follow and because I love their blogs.

I like the Lebovitz version because it’s a fuss free, no-recipe jam that makes sense and I like the NQN recipe because it suggests using jarred sour cherries and jamsetta.

I didn’t use jam sugar or additional pectin this time because I feel like my jams get a strange taste from these products (it could very well be my imagination, but I don’t think so).

While the flavour of my finished cherry jam was perfectly luscious and edible by the spoonful, it’s certainly a very runny jam. It doesn’t bother me, but some people like their jams firmly set.

Having said this, even with some added pectin this jam isn’t going to gel into sticky clumps like commercial jams and is always going to be just a little runny.

And don’t forget Lebovitz’s jam adage “the best jam is cooked quickly” so once the sugar goes in, gun it!

Cherry & Vanilla Jam

Anna's combination of various recipes from the internet. Makes around 1 litre (4 cups)

Ingredients:
1kg fresh cherries, pitted
1kg sugar
125ml (½ cup) lemon juice
Zest of one lemon
2 vanilla pods
(50g jamsetta, optional)

Method:
1. Chop ¾ of the cherries into smaller pieces and leave the rest, because as Lebovitz says “Leave some cherries whole so people can see how hard you worked pitting real cherries. If you leave too many whole ones, they’ll tumble off your toast”.

2. Quarter vanilla pods by halving once lengthwise and once crosswise.

3. Put cherries into a saucepan with the vanilla pods, lemon zest and lemon juice then cook for around 15 minutes until cherries are completely tender and juicy.

4. Add the sugar and stir until sugar dissolves (around 10 minutes).

5. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Cook for around 5-10 minutes, or until mixture is at setting point.

6. Check to see if jam is ready by dropping a small amount onto a chilled saucer and allow it to set for 30 seconds in the freezer. Run your finger through the mixture. If it wrinkles rather than runs, it has reached its setting point.

7. Remove from the heat and pour into jars, tightly screw on lid and then turn jars upside down to create vacuum seals (takes 30 minutes). Store in a cool, dark place.

Variation: instead of vanilla, Lebovitz recommends kirsch, clear cherry eau-de-vie or a few drops of almond extract to flavour the jam.

pickled cherries

Day 3 of Seven Days of Cherries

This couldn’t be a simpler recipe.

Pickled cherries are a fantastic accompaniment to rich game meat like roast goose, as the original recipe suggests.

Geese for eating aren’t very common in Australia and honestly I’ve never seen goose meat at any of the fancy butchers I’ve visited around Sydney, but there’s nothing stopping you serving these pickled beauties with roast duck or pork. Just as tasty and rich and also requiring a little acidity to cut through the fatty goodness.

Honk, honk! The geese will be pleased.

Pickled Cherries

Recipe from Australian Gourmet Traveller Magazine. Serves 6 as a side dish.

Ingredients:
500g cherries
425ml white wine vinegar
12 black peppercorns
350g caster sugar
3 bay leaves

Method:
1. For pickled cherries, place cherries in a sterilised jar and set aside.

2. Combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a simmer over medium heat.

3. Cool, strain, pour over cherries, seal and refrigerate for 1-2 days, inverting occasionally.