Summer means bountiful sweet red cherries making appearances in grocery stores. Although I enjoy the tender Rainier cherries, I especially relish the ripe, dark red Bing cherries or Dark Hudson cherries. Bing cherries are named after the foreman Ah Sit Bing, who came from China to work for Seth Lewelling’s farm in Oregon about 1875.
You can eat these cherries fresh and ripe. But another classic way to enjoy them is to cook them. Cooked cherries have a wonderful texture and the liquid they are cooked in takes on the dark, appetizing color.
In the 1960s, the famous Cherries Jubilee preparation was a popular way to end a fancy steak dinner. Cherries were sauteed tableside, then a liquor such as brandy or bourbon was added. A deft waiter would set fire to the mixture and the resulting flambe was the entertainment for the evening.
Here is an Easy Kine recipe that mimics the wonderful texture of the cooked cherries. In this recipe, cherries are cooked but not pitted, so they keep their beautiful heart shape. The deep ruby sauce has hints of orange and bourbon, without the risk that comes with a flambe. Served over vanilla ice cream, it’s an easy way to enjoy summer in a dessert.
CHERRIES JUBILEE
By Lynette Lo Tom
- 3 cups fresh ripe red cherries
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 strip orange peel
- 1-1/4 cups water
- 2 tablespoons bourbon (substitute rum)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 6 scoops vanilla ice cream
Wash and stem cherries. Pit if you prefer but they will not maintain their shape.
Place in a saucepan and add sugar, orange peel and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook 5 minutes. Add bourbon and cook until cherries are tender, about 5 minutes.
Add butter and remove from heat. Remove orange peel. Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve later.
Scoop vanilla ice cream into 6 bowls, and top with cherry sauce. Serve immediately. Serves 6.
Nutritional information unavailable.
”Easy Kine” features simple dishes that start with commercially prepared ingredients. Lynette Lo Tom is excited to hear your tried-and-true suggestions. Contact her at 275-3004, email lynette@brightlightcookery.com or via Instagram at @brightlightcookery. Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.
