HUNGARIAN CHERRY SOUP
The original recipe calls for Morello cherries, which are sour, and which may be either light red or very dark, almost black. Ideally you want to use a sour cherry for this soup, and any other such cherry is fine. One thing to consider when making this soup is that to be used safely, cherry pits and stems should be combined with the other ingredients and cooked as soon as they are removed from the cherries. I don’t know why that is, but that’s what I’ve been told.
1-lb Morello cherries, pitted, pits and stems reserved.
3 cup Reisling or other dry white wine
1/4 cup sugar
1-inch stick of cinnamon
2 lemons, 1 peeled and the peel reserved, both squeezed and juiced
½ cup brandy (optional but very nice)
2 cups sour cream
Cut a few of the cherries in half and reserve. Crack a few of the cherry pits with a mallet and then put all the pits and stems into a pan with the wine, sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel, and cinnamon stick. Simmer for five minutes and then leave to steep for at least fifteen minutes more, but no longer than thirty minutes. Strain, bring liquid to a boil and add the cherries and their juice. Remove from the heat immediately and allow to cool to tepid. Stir in the brandy. Put the sour cream into a tureen, gradually pour in the cherry soup, mix thoroughly. Chill, and garnish with reserved half cherries. This makes a nice pink soup, and is great for a summer lunch.
This recipe came from the Gay Hussar restaurant in London’s Soho district.
The original recipe calls for Morello cherries, which are sour, and which may be either light red or very dark, almost black. Ideally you want to use a sour cherry for this soup, and any other such cherry is fine. One thing to consider when making this soup is that to be used safely, cherry pits and stems should be combined with the other ingredients and cooked as soon as they are removed from the cherries. I don’t know why that is, but that’s what I’ve been told.
1-lb Morello cherries, pitted, pits and stems reserved.
3 cup Reisling or other dry white wine
1/4 cup sugar
1-inch stick of cinnamon
2 lemons, 1 peeled and the peel reserved, both squeezed and juiced
½ cup brandy (optional but very nice)
2 cups sour cream
Cut a few of the cherries in half and reserve. Crack a few of the cherry pits with a mallet and then put all the pits and stems into a pan with the wine, sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel, and cinnamon stick. Simmer for five minutes and then leave to steep for at least fifteen minutes more, but no longer than thirty minutes. Strain, bring liquid to a boil and add the cherries and their juice. Remove from the heat immediately and allow to cool to tepid. Stir in the brandy. Put the sour cream into a tureen, gradually pour in the cherry soup, mix thoroughly. Chill, and garnish with reserved half cherries. This makes a nice pink soup, and is great for a summer lunch.
This recipe came from the Gay Hussar restaurant in London’s Soho district.
