cherries with charred lemon
I am by no means a fruititarian (or however you spell it) but I do eat a LOT of fruit day to day. Especially in the summer months when so much good fruit is abundant I think that we need to be celebrating its beauty and eating it as much as we can. While Rainier cherries are so good on their own, they get a nice kick and a boost from a dead-simple charred lemon sauce which is so good it has no right being so easy.
cherries with charred lemon
2-3 large lemons, halved
2-3 tablespoons honey (try to find a really crazy floral one if you can)
2lbs Rainier cherries (or other fruit fresh summer fruit such as strawberries, peaches, plums, etc if you’re intimidated by the dipping and the pit sitch. The only fruit I’d avoid here are raspberries which have a tendency to fall apart)
Pre-heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat until wisps of smoke start flying off it. Add the lemons to the skillet, cut side down, and let them char (ie- DON’T MOVE THEM) until the cut surface is very well blackened and they start to smell a little burnt (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside until they’re cool enough to handle.
Juice the lemons into a large bowl and whisk in the honey along with a pinch of salt until it’s dissolved and the liquid thickens slightly and gets glossy. Taste it at this point and add more honey if you like things sweeter.
To serve: Place the cherries in a separate bowl and dip them in the sauce one at a time, discarding the stem and pit as you go (obviously). Alternatively, you can painstakingly pit and stem each cherry if you’re making this for a huge crowd and toss the fruit in the sauce before serving. If you’ve elected for a larger fruit, such as a peach, I think simply slicing them in half, removing the pit, and spooning the sauce over them is lovely.
Ta-ta for now,
Nicki (from my teeny tiny kitchen)