Ingredients
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½ Vanilla Pod
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4 cups (425 g) pitted jarred Cherries
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1 cup Water
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3 tbsp (40 g) Sugar
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Pinch of Salt
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¼ oz (6 g) Leaf Gelatine
Directions
Itxassou, a village just inland from the Basque coast, is where most of the region’s famed cherries are from. There are numerous varieties: Xapata is a yellow-orange color and is the most acidic in taste, making it an excellent unadulterated, eating-straight-from-the-bag cherry; Peloa is a deep-red cherry, generally eaten raw; and finally, Beltza, the most famous deep, dark cherry of the region with its natural sweetness, is ideal for jam making. Traditional Basque cherry jam doesn’t use pectin; instead the cherry pits are cracked and cooked with the fruit as they contain a natural gelling agent, which thickens the jam. This cherry terrine works as a dessert with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream; but as it’s not overly sweet, it’s equally delicious teamed with a creamy goat cheese or slivers of cured meats.
Steps
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1
Done
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Line the loaf pan with plastic wrap. |
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2
Done
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Place the vanilla pod and seeds into a medium saucepan with the cherries and their juice, water, sugar, and salt. Over medium heat, whisk until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, then take off the heat and cool for 10 minutes. |
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3
Done
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Remove the vanilla pod and discard. Squeeze the excess water from the gelatin sheets. Whisk the gelatin into the cherry mixture. Once the gelatin has completely dissolved, pour the mixture into the lined loaf pan. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight. |
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4
Done
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When ready to serve, loosen the plastic wrap from the edges of the loaf pan, place a plate on top, and turn the whole thing upside down. Remove the plastic wrap and slice. |
