Recipes

Barny Haughton of Bordeaux Quay in Bristol has devised this chocolate torte recipe to make a perfect accompaniment to English cherries.

For the Cherries

    500g cherries
    300ml water
    75g caster sugar
    3tbsp Kirsch

For the Torte

    225g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)You can replace up to 50% with 53% cocoa solids
    110g unsalted butter
    110g caster sugar
    4 large eggs, separated

For the Topping

    300ml double cream
    50g bitter chocolate
    Icing sugar to dust

Wash the cherries and select 10 with stalks for decoration. De-stalk and pit the remainder of the cherries. Dissolve the caster sugar in the water and add half the Kirsch.  Bring the poaching syrup to a simmer and gently poach the pitted cherries for a few minutes until tender.  Stir occasionally.

When soft, remove the cherries from the liquor with a slotted spoon. Place them in a bowl and cover with the remaining kirsch and leave to marinate.

Poach the decorative cherries in the same liquor, taking care to keep the stalks attached.  When soft, remove and set aside reserving the liquor. Increase the heat under the cherry liquor and reduce by two thirds to make a syrup to serve with the torte.

To make the torte, melt the chocolate and butter together very gently in a bain marie and do not stir.  When almost melted, remove from the heat and stir slowly.  Cool.
Whisk the egg yolks and 80g of the caster sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy.  Then stir into the chocolate mixture along with the Kirsch in which the cherries have been marinating.
In another bowl, whisk the egg whites and the rest of the caster sugar until they form soft peaks.  Carefully fold the whites into the mixture until completely combined.

Pour the mixture into a 20cm spring-form tin lined with baking paper.  Sprinkle the marinated cherries over the surface (they will start to sink into the mixture) and place in the oven at 170C for around 30 minutes or until the centre feels slightly springy.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin.  As it cools the torte will sink to become extremely rich.  

To decorate the torte, whip the double cream until quite stiff.  Make ten quenelles of cream and place around the edge of the cake at a slight angle.  Place one of the whole cherries on each quenelle.  Grate a little of the bitter chocolate over each one and finally, dust lightly with icing sugar.