Michael Caines: Cherry parfait, poached cherries and cherry mousse with cherry jelly

Makes around a litre

For the poached cherries

• 600g fresh cherries
• 30g kirsch
• 0.5 lemon
• 80g caster sugar
• 1 tsp arrowroot

For the marinated cherries

• 125g poached cherries
• 25g kirsch

For the cherry parfait

• 100g sugar
• 30g water
• 6 egg yolks
• 200g poached cherries
• 125g marinated cherries
• 0.5 lemon
• 200g double cream
• 8 tempered dark chocolate tubes

For the cherry chocolate mousse

• 3 egg yolks
• 75g stock syrup
• 100g griotte cherries
• 50g griotte cherry liquor
• 160g dark chocolate
• 300g double cream

For the cherry jelly

• 0 leaves gelatine
• 150g cherry juice
• 100g water
• 200g caster or granulated sugar
• 250g good gin
• 2 lemons
• 500g tonic water

Step 1
For the poached cherries, put the cherries, kirsch, lemon juice and sugar in a stainless-steel saucepan and bring to a boil over a medium heat.

Step 2
Cook at a gentle simmer for five minutes, until the cherries are soft.

Step 3
Add a drop of water to the arrowroot, then whisk into the pan.

Step 4
Bring back to a boil, remove from the heat, strain off 150ml of juice through a fine sieve (you'll use this for the jelly) and leave the rest to cool down.

Step 5
Once cooled, separate 125g of the cherries, chop finely and place in a bowl with the kirsch to steep for 12 hours (you'll use these in the parfait).

Step 6
Weigh out another 200g of the poached cherries, place in a liquidiser and blitz to a purée (you'll use this in the parfait, too).

Step 7
To make the parfait, put the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until it reaches 120C – this is your stock syrup.

Step 8
Put the egg yolks in a bowl, pour on the hot syrup, whipping all the time, until the eggs are cold.

Step 9
Add the cherry purée and mix to blend, then add the marinated cherries and lemon juice.

Step 10
Carefully fold in the whipped cream and pour the mixture into the chocolate tubes until they are three-quarters full.

Step 11
Place in the freezer.

Step 12
To make the mousse, make up some more stock syrup as for the parfait.

Step 13
Put the egg yolks, 25ml of syrup and 15ml of griottes liquor in a bowl, place over a pan of gently simmering water (make sure the water doesn't touch the base or sides of the bowl) and whisk continuously until the mixture thickens, turns frothy and forms a sabayon.

Step 14
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 50ml of stock syrup in a saucepan over a medium heat until it reaches 120C.

Step 15
Place the sabayon in a food mixer and quickly whisk in the warm stock syrup until the mixture is cold.

Step 16
Mix in the chopped griottes and the remaining 50ml of their liquor.

Step 17
Fold in the melted chocolate and double cream, and mix until smooth.

Step 18
Transfer the mousse into moulds and put in the fridge to set for two hours.

Step 19
Finally, on to the jelly.

Step 20
Soften the gelatine in cold water.

Step 21
Meanwhile, heat the cherry juice in a saucepan over a medium heat.

Step 22
Once the gelatine is soft, squeeze out the excess water and add the gelatine leaves to the juice to dissolve, stirring to help the process.

Step 23
Once dissolved, spoon the mixture on top of the mousse, then put the moulds back in the fridge to set the jelly.

Step 24
To serve, top up the frozen parfait-filled chocolate tubes with the remaining poached cherries and serve with the mousse alongside.

Step 25
Heat the water with the sugar until the latter dissolves.

Step 26
Add all the remaining ingredients to the pan, stir, then pour into a freezer container and freeze.

Step 27
After an hour, take it out, give it a quick whisk and return to the freezer.

Step 28
Repeat after the second hour.

Step 29
Before serving, scrape the granite all over with a fork to break it up – this will give it a softer texture.