Coupes Elizabeth

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1.5-quart (1.5 litre) saucepan
• •Shallow 1-quart (1 litre) heatproof container with lid
• •Four 6 to 8 fluid-ounce (180 to 240 ml) coupe glasses or dessert dishes
• •Cherry pitter
• •Medium mixing bowl with balloon whisk or electric hand mixer
• •Fine-mesh tea strainer

Instructions

1. 1

   Chill the service

   Place four 6 to 8 fluid-ounce (180 to 240 ml) coupe glasses or dessert dishes in the refrigerator. Chill a medium mixing bowl and its whisk as well. The coupe contains no ice, so the cold glass must help keep the fruit and Chantilly properly chilled without diluting either one.

2. 2

   Build the syrup

   Combine the water and granulated sugar in a small saucepan. Warm gently, stirring only until the sugar dissolves, then bring the clear syrup to a quiet simmer for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat before adding the kirsch and cherry brandy, then return it to low heat until the surface barely trembles. Taking the pan off the burner before adding the spirits keeps the alcohol away from a direct flame.

3. 3

   Poach the cherries

   Slip the pitted cherries into the flavored syrup and poach them at the barest tremble for 4 to 6 minutes. They are ready when their skins look glossy and the flesh yields slightly while each cherry still holds its shape. Do not let the syrup boil hard. If it does and several cherries split, pull the pan off the heat at once. Ça se rattrape: lift the intact fruit into the chilling container, strain the syrup if it has become cloudy, and pour it back over the cherries. The appearance will be softer, but the perfume remains.

   Move the fruit with a spoon, not vigorous stirring. Once warm, a pitted cherry tears easily against the side of the pan.
4. 4

   Chill fruit deeply

   Transfer the cherries and all their syrup to a shallow heatproof container. Let them cool uncovered for about 20 minutes, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. The fruit must be cold through its centre, not merely cool at the surface. Do not freeze it; ice crystals break the cherries and the melting water thins the syrup.

5. 5

   Blend the spice

   Stir together the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Cinnamon must lead clearly, with the other spices appearing only at the finish. Set the mixture beside a fine-mesh tea strainer so the final dusting stays light and even.

6. 6

   Whip the Chantilly

   Reserve 2 tablespoons of the cold cream. Put the remainder in the chilled bowl with the confectioners' sugar and vanilla, then whisk to soft, generous peaks that hold on a spoon without looking stiff. If the Chantilly begins to turn grainy, stop immediately. Ça se rattrape: fold in the reserved cream a teaspoon at a time until it becomes smooth again. Chantilly should fall in soft folds; cream beaten rigid has lost its grace.

   Cold cream takes air cleanly and holds it. If the kitchen is warm, set the mixing bowl over a larger bowl of ice while whisking, but keep every drop of water out of the cream.
7. 7

   Assemble the coupes

   Lift the chilled glasses from the refrigerator. Divide the cherries among them with a slotted spoon, then add enough syrup to make the fruit gleam without leaving it afloat, about 2 tablespoons per coupe. Cover each portion generously with Chantilly laid on by spoon, not piped, and sift over a light veil of the cinnamon-led spice. Serve at once while every layer is thoroughly cold. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Bigarreau means a firm-fleshed sweet cherry, not a sour cooking cherry. Buy fruit that is ripe but still taut, and allow about 600 g whole cherries to yield 500 g after stemming and pitting.
• •Outside cherry season, frozen dark sweet cherries are the honest preserved choice. Add them frozen and poach only until heated through; they will be softer than fresh bigarreaux, so move them as little as possible.
• •Kirsch and cherry brandy do separate work. Kirsch is clear, dry, and sharply aromatic; cherry brandy liqueur is sweeter and rounder. Using only one flattens the flavor the original formula deliberately built from both.
• •The spirits are not cooked away completely. If a guest avoids alcohol, choose another cherry dessert rather than pretending these flavorings are invisible.
• •Spoon the Chantilly over the fruit shortly before serving. A piping bag adds no value here, and the loose folds of cream catch the spice and syrup far better.

Advance Preparation

• •Poach the cherries one day ahead and refrigerate them in their syrup. They keep well for up to 3 days, covered and cold, and their flavor deepens during the first overnight rest.
• •Mix the spices several days ahead and keep them tightly covered away from heat and light.
• •The Chantilly can be whipped up to 2 hours before serving and held covered in the refrigerator. Assemble the coupes within 15 minutes of bringing them to the table so the cream remains distinct from the syrup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 275g)