Fresh Bing Cherry Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 lb fresh bing cherry
• 2 tablespoons raw sugar
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 allspice berries
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2 cup muscat wine
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup red shallot, chopped
• 1/4 cup cherry brandy
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg
• 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper

Directions

1. 1

   Wash the cherries and remove the pits. Slice the cherries in half and place into a glass bowl. Add sugar, bay leaves, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, salt, wine and lemon juice. Stir the cherries well, cover with plastic and chill for 1 hour.

2. 2

   Peel and dice the red shallots. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium saucepan and saute shallots until they are soft or tender.

3. 3

   Add the brandy to the shallots and stir well. Reduce the brandy by one-half.

4. 4

   Add the bowl of fresh cherries with the liquid to the saucepan and bring to a slow boil. Stir the cherries as they will burn.

5. 5

   Reduce the heat and slowly simmer the cherries for 10-15 minutes. Add the remaining butter to the cherry sauce and slowly stir.

6. 6

   Remove the cherries from the heat and allow them to cool slightly. Discard the bay leaves and cinnamon stick.

7. 7

   Puree the cherries in the saucepan with a hand blender. Return the cherry sauce to the heat and bring to a slow simmer. Add nutmeg and cayenne pepper to taste. Stir the cherry sauce well and simmer 2-3 minutes.

8. 8

   Remove the cherry sauce from the heat and strain thes sauce using a chinois.

9. 9

   Serve hot, room temperature or chilled.

10. 10

    Garnish: 4 Whole Cherries.