Picota - The Red diamonds of Spain

Discover the star of Extremadura

This French classic with cherries is delicious when served slightly warm from the oven

This French classic with cherries is delicious when served slightly warm from the oven | Photo: Marc Fosh

| Palma |

In the Jerte Valley in Extremadura, there’s one time of year where a million trees swell with tiny red fruit. These little, shiny cherries are only available from June to the end of July, but they’re some of the best in the World, so much so that they have Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status. They are Picota cherries, and they are in season right now.

Cherries have been grown in the Jerte Valley for centuries, but since the 1960s they’ve become a tourism attraction in their own right. Much like the sakura cherry blossom in Japan, Picota cherry trees blanket the valley in white petals, creating a stunning scene that attracts people from across Europe. But what makes them so special? The first thing you’ll notice is they’re sold without stalks as the cherries are left to ripen fully before being picked by hand, which means the stalks drop off during the harvest. The second thing you’ll notice is the unique shape of the fruit itself. Unlike other cherries, which are round, these ones come to a natural point, hence the name Picota (pico is Spanish for peak, or point). And when you taste the cherries, it’s impossible to ignore the incredibly intense, sweet flavour. This is thanks to how the cherries are grown; they are left to mature for twice as long as usual, basking in the Spanish sun which allows the fruit to develop its flavour and colour.

Fresh cherries are high in energy-giving carbohydrates and are an excellent source of vitamin C. Picota cherries have floral and spicy notes making them perfect partners for sour cream, vanilla and lemons. They also work well with almonds, brandy, coffee, mint and, off course, chocolate. I love to serve them in one of my classic dishes at the restaurant with smoked rice, eel & spiced cherries. A big bowl of fresh cherries are also the perfect accompaniment for cheese and help to cut the richness of wild game, duck and Foie Gras. Preserved cherries are normally, horribly sweet and glaceed cherries are possibly one of the most awful ingredients ever invented, so buy them fresh and enjoy the fantastic flavour on offer in the all too short picota cherry season.

Cherry Clafoutis

Ingredients: serves 4-6

  • 450g fresh cherries (stoned)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 100g sugar
  • 20g cornflour
  • 250ml cream
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 30ml kirsch

Method

  1. Whisk the eggs, egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. Open the vanilla pod and scrape out the black seeds. Add the cornflour, vanilla seeds and cream to the egg mixture and whisk until well blended.
  2. Heat the cherries in an ovenproof dish until they start to soften. Add the batter mix and bake in a hot oven (220ºc/gas7) for 25-30 minutes until golden and firm.
  3. Leave to cool slightly, dust with icing sugar and serve with creme fraiche and chocolate sorbet.

Black Forest Cake in a glass

Everybody loves this classic dessert! Layers of chocolate sponge or brownie, cream and kirsch flavoured cherries provide the building blocks for this classic black forest gateau. I’ve layered mine into a glass and decorated with grated dark chocolate and fresh cherries, for a more striking aesthetic. This is the perfect dinner party show-stopper.

Ingredients: serves 6

Chocolate sponge cake:

  • 250g butter
  • 250g sugar
  • 160g flour
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • 70g cocoa powder
  • 4 free-range eggs

Filling:

  • 1 tbsp kirsch liquor
  • 75g morello cherry jam
  • 250g fresh cherries, stoned
  • 400ml whipped cream
  • 3tbsp icing sugar
  • 150g dark chocolate, grated

Chocolate sponge cake:

  • Preheat the oven to 190°C/375F/Gas 5.
  • Grease a 20cm/8 in loose-based sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment.
  • Place the butter, sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and eggs in a bowl and blend until smooth and thick. Spoon the batter into the prepared cake tin and spread it out evenly with a spatula.
  • Bake for 25–30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack. Take off the lining paper and leave the cake to cool.
  • When the cake is cold, cut it into medium sized cubes.

For the filling

  1. Put the jam in a saucepan with the fresh cherries and Kirsch and place over a low heat. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until the jam has melted, and the cherries are beginning to swell. Leave to cool for 15 minutes.
  2. To assemble the cake, place some of sponge cake cubes at the bottom of the glass. Add about 2 tablespoons of whipped cream and top with half of the cherry mixture. Add another layer of sponge cake cubes, whipped cream, and the cherry mixture. Finish with the remaining whipped cream, sprinkle the grated dark chocolate on top and garnish with fresh cherries.
Chilled Almond and garlic soup with marinated sardines and cherries.

Ajo Blanco Malagueño

Ajo blanco is a breeze to make and keeps well for 2–3 days in the refrigerator. Sometimes known as gazpacho blanco (white gazpacho), the origins actually predate gazpacho by several centuries and date back to the invasion of the Moors, who we also have to thank for our abundance of almonds here in Mallorca.

Serves 4

  • 180g peeled almonds
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 600ml milk
  • 250ml water
  • 50g fresh white bread
  • 150ml olive oil
  • 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
  • 12 fresh cherries, pitted, to garnish
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the marinated sardines:

  • 12 sardines, cleaned and filleted
  • 200g sea salt
  • 200g sugar
  • 200ml olive oil

Method

  1. First, make the marinated sardines. Place the sardine fillets skin-side up on a large dish. Thoroughly combine the salt and sugar and completely cover the sardine fillets with the mixture. Transfer to the refrigerator to marinate for 1–2 hours.
  2. Rinse the marinated sardines in cold water to remove all the salt, then dry with paper towels. Transfer to a clean bowl and cover with olive oil.
  3. In a heavy saucepan, combine the peeled almonds, garlic cloves, milk and water, and cook over a low heat for 30–35 minutes, until the almonds are soft and cooked through. Add the bread and cook for another 3–4 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool a little, then transfer to a food processor and blend to a purée. Whisk in the olive oil, season to taste, then pass through a fine sieve (strainer) into a bowl. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 3–4 hours.
  4. To serve, pour the chilled ajo blanco into soup bowls and garnish with the marinated sardines and fresh cherries. Serve immediately.
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