Vanilla Parfaits - John Burton-Race
John Burton-Race devised this recipe for FoodLovers to make the most of English cherries.
Serves 6
For the Vanilla Parfaits
50g caster sugar
2 dessertspoons water
3 egg yolks
150ml double cream
2 vanilla pods, split
For the Warm Cherries
600g cherries, stoned
50g caster sugar
100ml water
20ml Kirsch or sweet cherry brandy
15g cornflour
1 dessertspoon icing sugar, for dusting
Method
Place the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Boil the syrup for 2 minutes to melt the sugar, then remove the pan from the stove. Pour the egg yolks into the bowl of a food mixer with a whisk attachment and whisk. Add the syrup and continue whisking for about 10 minutes until the mixture has thickened and increased by about three times in volume.
Pour the cream into a bowl. Scrape the vanilla seeds from the pods into the cream, reserving the pods. Whisk the cream until thick and firm, then fold into the egg mixture. Pour the mixture into 6 x 8cm ramekins and place these in the freezer for about 4 hours to set.
For the warm cherries, put the cherries in a saucepan with the reserved vanilla pods. Add the sugar and water and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for a further 5 minutes, removing any froth that rises to the surface. Mix the Kirsch and cornflour to a smooth paste and stir into the cherries. Bring back to the boil and then turn them into a bowl. Remove the vanilla pods.
Take the parfaits out of the freezer, dip each ramekin in hot water and, using a knife, run the tip around each dish. Turn the parfaits out onto 6 dessert plates. Spoon some of the cherries around the outside of each parfait, placing 2-3 cherries on top. Dust the plates with icing sugar and serve immediately.
