Cherries with Juniper and Yeast Ice Cream (Nobelhart & Schmutzig)
This refreshing dessert combines tart cherries infused with the aromatic essence of juniper berries, balanced by a smooth, creamy yeast-based sauce. The contrasting textures and flavors make this cherry and juniper dish a standout, while the fresh sorrel adds a bright, herbal finish. Perfect for summer or fall, this unique cherry dessert is both sophisticated and refreshing, offering a modern twist on classic flavors.
This unique dessert marries the tartness of cherries with the earthy, slightly piney flavor of juniper, creating a culinary masterpiece that stands out. Imagine the deep, rich flavor of cherries infused with the aromatic essence of freshly crushed juniper berries, a combination that awakens your palate with its vibrant contrast. This dish not only challenges your perception of sweet and savory but also elevates natural ingredients into an experience that’s both luxurious and comforting.
The addition of yeast cream brings an unexpected, yet delightful creaminess, giving this dessert a unique texture and richness. It’s a modern take on traditional ingredients, showcasing the delicate balance between the subtle sweetness of honey and the smooth, almost fluffy texture of the cream. This dessert is a perfect representation of how classic elements can be reimagined for a contemporary plate, offering both depth of flavor and aesthetic appeal.
Ingredients
Method
- Crush the juniper berries finely in the mortar.
- Put the cherries and juniper in the saucepan and crush the cherries well with the potato masher.
- Warm over low heat, stirring, for 5–8 minutes, until the thermometer reads 55°C (130°F).
- Take the pan off the heat and leave it for 15 minutes to infuse.
- Strain through the fine sieve, pressing hard on the pulp; you should have about 500 ml of juice.
- Taste the juice and stir in honey only if it is sour.
- Pour the juice into the shallow container to a depth of about 2 cm and freeze it.
- After 45 minutes, scrape the frozen edges into the middle with the fork.
- Repeat the scraping every 30 minutes for about 3 hours, until the whole container is fine, dry ice crystals.
- For the cream, whisk the cold milk, honey and agar in the small saucepan and crumble in the yeast.
- Bring to the boil, whisking, and boil gently for 2 minutes.
- Pour into a container, let it cool, then cover and refrigerate overnight, until firmly set.
- Cut the set cream into pieces and blend for 1–2 minutes, until smooth and creamy; add 1–2 tbsp of milk if it is too thick.
- Chill four plates in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Put a spoonful of yeast cream on each plate.
- Add three spoonfuls of cherry granita on top.
- Scatter 7–10 sorrel leaves over each plate and serve at once, while the granita is still frozen.
- Cherry Mixture: Heat the cherries with the ground juniper berries to 130°F. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove solids.
- Freezing: Pour the strained cherry mixture into a small container and freeze. Once frozen, pierce the surface several times with a fork.
- Yeast Cream: In a saucepan, bring the raw milk, honey, fresh yeast, and agar-agar to a boil. Let it cool, then refrigerate overnight.
- Blending: Blend the chilled mixture until smooth and creamy.
- Assembly: Place a spoonful of yeast cream on a plate. Add three dollops of the frozen cherry mixture on top. Garnish with 7-10 fresh sorrel leaves.
- Serve: Serve immediately, ensuring the dish is cold.
- Raw milk replaced with whole pasteurised milk Raw milk is hard to buy in many places and banned in some. The chef boils it with the yeast and agar, so ordinary whole milk gives almost the same result.
- Cherries crushed before warming to 55°C (130°F) and left to infuse for 15 minutes Whole cherries warmed only to 55°C release little juice; crushed, they give up most of it while keeping a fresh taste.
- Juice frozen as a granita and scraped with a fork every 30 minutes Unsweetened juice frozen in a block is rock hard in a home freezer. Scraping as it freezes gives the same icy texture in spoonable crystals.
- Fresh yeast can be replaced with 4 g active dry yeast Fresh yeast is sold at bakery counters and in some supermarkets. The yeast is boiled and only adds its bready, savoury flavour, so dry yeast works.
- Agar given as powder and boiled for 2 minutes Agar sets only after a full boil. Flakes are weaker; if you have flakes, use 1 tbsp.
- Wood sorrel can be replaced with small sorrel leaves or lemony micro herbs Wood sorrel grows wild in woods and is sold by some greengrocers; young sorrel gives the same sour freshness.
The dish in the photograph was cooked by the restaurant for this story. Photo: Oleksandr Slyadnyev.