Recipe: Cherries Poached in Kir

I’m following Claudine Hemingway Knapp’s Tour de French Cuisine series. As the bikers race through France Claudine follows in their wake, highlighting all the culinary treasures they don’t have time to try. But we do! Next up is Burgundy. Of course, there is the wine. But Burgundy also has another liquid treasure, cassis. The liqueur is made from the small berries that grow all over the area and are nicknamed “black pearls”. This week’s recipe, using the wonderful cherries now in season in the US, pays homage to cassis and another iconic drink of Burgundy, Kir. Et voila: CERISES POCHÉES AU KIR ~ CHERRIES POACHED IN “KIR” (pronounced: suh rees / poh  sheh / oh / keer) Ingredients: 1 lb. cherries, pits removed 2-2/3 cups white wine 1/3 cup cassis 1 3-inch cinnamon stick 3 whole cloves 1 scant cup superfine sugar Preparation: Stir the wine, cassis, cinnamon, cloves and sugar together in a saucepan. Place over med-high heat. Cook, stirring until the sugar is dissolved Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Place the cherries in the mixture and simmer for another 5 minutes. They should be just tender, not mushy. Remove the cherries with a slotted spoon. Place in a jar or bowl. Bring the poaching liquid to a boil and reduce by half. This will take about 10-15 minutes. Watch closely so that it does not boil over! To serve: Serve the cherries as is or pour the syrup over them and chill. Use as a topping on ice cream, custard, a filling for crêpes or make a clafouti. They are so gooood. P.S. I don’t have a cherry pitter, so I use a paper clip. Just push one of the rounded ends down around the pit, pull up and presto, the pit comes right out. Looking to end on a sweet note? Try zChocolat‘s exclusive selection of handmade French chocolates. Fat Tire Bike Tours are great for seeing Paris in a different light. You’ll see more, have more fun, and not feel tired at the end of it. These are highly recommended and truly a great thing to do during your stay.  Take a City Segway Tour, the world’s first guided tour using Segways. Be sure you glide with the original!