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MEALS THAT HEAL

Chill out with cherries

PHOTO: V. SUBRAHMANYAM

THREE CHEERS! For cherries

The word ‘cherry’ refers to both the tree and the fleshy fruit that consists of a single hard stone enclosing a seed, otherwise known as a drupe. The cherry belongs to the family Rosaceae, genus Prunus, along with almonds, peaches, plums, apricots and bird cherries. There are 2 distinct types: the common bright-red and the rarer dark-crimson to nearly black, which tends to be sweeter and less resinous. There are about 7,000 cherries on an average tart cherry tree.

Cherries may relieve the pain of arthritis and gout. Cherries are low in calories and contain no fat. They are high in potassium, vitamins c and B complex and minerals. Cherry consumption can help the body prevent heart disease and cancer. These health benefits are possible due to the antioxidants found in cherries, the most vital of which are flavonoids.

Now, for a recipe.

Ingredients

Rose geranium leaves: 3

Sugar: half cup

Sour cherries, pitted: one-and-a-half cups

Kirsch (Brandy used for cheese fondue): 2 tbsp

Heavy cream: one-and-a-half cups

Egg yolks: 6 egg yolks, stirred to combine

Bittersweet chocolate squares, 3, chopped. (optional)

Method: Marinate cherries in one tbsp of kirsch, 1 tbsp of sugar and 2 rose geranium leaves. Stir the mixture a few times and let it stand for a few hours, overnight is better. Simmer the cherry mixture over low heat with quarter cup of sugar until it becomes tender and the juices have thickened slightly (about 15 minutes). Empty it into a bowl; allow it to cool and add remaining tbsp of kirsch. Heat the cream with the remaining sugar and the last rose geranium leaf over medium low heat until the sugar is dissolved and bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Let it steep for an hour. Reheat till bubbles form. Whisk a little at a time some of the hot cream into the egg yolks and then pour the egg mixture into the saucepan and heat it over a low flame, stirring constantly. After the mixture turns into custard, the temperature will be about 160 degrees and it will no longer taste of raw egg. Quickly pour it through a sieve into the bowl of cherries. Stir well and cover with Saran wrap on top of the custard. Chill it thoroughly in the refrigerator. When the custard is cold, remove the geranium leaves and freeze the custard in an ice cream maker. Add chocolate pieces (optional) and let the ice cream maker run for a few minutes more.

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