Pinot noir cherries

These cherries, with red wine syrup, are delicious served with pannacotta or ice cream. You can also add them to a savoury sauce to serve with duck or venison. They are a nice thing to have around during Christmas and the holidays and they make useful gifts. Use dark fleshed cherries if possible. The cherries will wrinkle (and look a little like large raisins) as they are left in the syrup, which is fine.

Ingredients

1	Vanilla pod
3 ½ cups	Sugar
2 bottles	Pinot noir
2	Cinnamon sticks
4	Star anise
1	Lemon, peeled zest of 1 smooth-skinned lemon, cut into thin strips, avoid the white pith
1 ⅕ kgs	Cherries, preferably dark flesh, with stalks left on

Directions

1. Scrape seeds from vanilla pod and add to a saucepan with all other ingredients, except for the cherries.
2. Boil liquid for 30-40 minutes until syrupy. Wash cherries and place in a heatproof bowl.
3. Pour over hot syrup, cover and allow to cool in the syrup.
4. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
5. If you want to make jars of the cherries, wash cherries well and pack loosely into sterilised jars.
6. Pour over hot syrup and fill right to the top of the jar. Screw on hot sterilised lids. They are best eaten within a month.