Ingredients

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 130ºC / 260ºF / Gas Mark 1⁄2.


For the cherry stock syrup


1. Put all the ingredients except for the cherries and Kirsch in a non-reactive pan, and cook until the sugar has just dissolved.
2. Remove stones and stalks from two-thirds of the cherries, then poach all the cherries in the sugar syrup until just tender, about 10 minutes or so.
3. Add a big splash of Kirsch to this, if liked.
4. Toast the pistachio nuts with the icing sugar in a non-stick pan, then tip out on to a piece of non-stick baking paper and leave to cool before roughly chopping. Reserve.
5. Remove the cherries from the stove and allow to cool in the liquid. While they are cooling, take a ladle of the poaching liquid and reduce to a semi-sticky syrup consistency. This will decorate the dish when serving and add depth of flavour.


To make the pavlova in a mixer


1. Whisk up the egg whites and sugar to stiff peaks and until the sugar dissolves. This will take anywhere between 20 and 30 minutes, or until the sugar has completely dissolved.
2. Throw in a mix of the cornflour, vanilla and white wine vinegar, and fold together with the dried sour cherries.
3. Dollop or pipe the pavlova mixture on to non-stick baking sheets in individual portion sizes – they will expand, so about 1tbsp size per person.
4. Cook in the preheated very low oven for 1–11⁄2 hours, or until they lift off the non-stick sheet cleanly.


Finishing off


1. While the pavlova is cooking, whip the double cream with the scraped seeds of the vanilla pod and a splash of the Kirsch. Whip up to semi-stiff peaks – just until it holds its own weight. Set aside.


To serve


1. Spoon a generous amount of the vanilla cream onto each pavlova and drizzle over the stoned poached cherries and the reduced sauce.
2. Scatter over some toasted pistachio nuts and decorate with cherries with stalks still on.

Time From Cupboard-To-Table

Notes & Variations on Poached Cherry Pavlova, Vanilla Cream and Toasted Pistachios

Veg Box Recipes Newsletter