PHOTO: SUSAN BELSINGER
Sour Cherry Grunt.
8
SERVINGS
Ingredients
- About 6 cups pitted sour cherries
- 2/3 cup sour cherry juice (or substitute with water)
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 6 sprigs lemon balm, 4 to 5 inches long
Grunt Mixture
- 1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
- 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- Scant teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
- 1-1/4 cups buttermilk
- 3 to 4 tablespoons chopped lemon balm leaves
Directions
- Fruit: In a 10- to 12-inch non-reactive sauté pan with tight-fitting lid, combine cherries and juice. Toss brown and white sugars together with cornstarch, then add mixture to cherries and blend well. Add the balm sprigs and place the pan over medium-high heat. Bring cherries to a simmer and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, assemble grunt dough.
- Grunt: In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and brown sugar. Toss well to blend. Cut butter into dry ingredients with pastry cutter or two knives. Add buttermilk and balm leaves; stir to blend.
- Drop large spoonfuls of grunt dough over simmering cherries. Cover pan and cook 20 to 25 minutes. The grunt dough will not brown much; it is being cooked like dumplings on top of stew. Dough is done when set, or when stuck with knife, dough is no longer sticky and knife comes out clean. Uncover and let cool for 15 minutes before serving. Best served hot or warm, but good at room temperature.
Put end-of-season to work with this Sour Cherry Grunt recipe.
