Normally, when we think of any fruit in syrup, we always associate it with biscuits, cakes, pancakes or any other type of dessert, but most kitchen professionals also use it for other dishes that have nothing to do with confectionery products.
We can find a large number of salty dishes with cherries in syrup that will surprise you. In this article we are going to show you some of them and explain the reasons why a good chef will always choose a supplier capable of offering cherries in syrup of the highest quality and with all kinds of packaging to suit your business needs.
Cherries in syrup are never lacking in a chef’s kitchen
Cherries in syrup are one of the ingredients that is not usually missing in the kitchen of chefs in hotels, restaurants or catering services, since they can be used at any time of the year. The cherry season starts in May and ends around August, depending on each type of cherry and, thanks to cherries in syrup, professionals can use this ingredient in their creations whenever they need it.
In addition to preserving most of the properties of the natural cherry, the cherry in syrup allows a much longer conservation period (even 24 months). This type of cherry provides a characteristic flavour that chefs like very much for its good combination with other ingredients and for the different and innovative touch they add to their creations. We are going to see some salty dishes with cherries in syrup that you can often see in Horeca establishments.
Cherry sauce
Although cherries in syrup can be used as a side ingredient in savory dishes, they are also used to make cherry sauce that adds a more intense flavour to the final product. Most chefs start with a base sauce with extra virgin olive oil, onion, vinegar and cherries in syrup. From there you can introduce more ingredients and create other sauces to accompany meat and fish. Many professionals decide to innovate and prepare sauces other than the traditional one to surprise their clients, as in the following examples:
Spicy cherry sauce
It is usually used for cheeses, meats and fish. For its preparation, ginger, onion, chilli, red wine and cherries in syrup are used. The level of spiciness will depend on the dish in which it will be served.
Oriental cherry sauce
This sauce mixes intense flavours such as cherry and sweet and sour sauce, which is made with apple cider vinegar, icing sugar and cherries in syrup. Cherry chutney combines sweet and spicy flavours and is made with cinnamon, raisins, cardamom and onion. The mix provides a delicious and amazing blend.
Sweet cherry sauce
It is widely used to fill cakes or biscuits, crepes, yoghurts, salads or also to accompany meat and fish that may be too dry. Its preparation is simple, you only need lemon juice, orange juice, sugar and cherries in syrup. Different ingredients can be added on this basis, such as brown sugar, egg yolks, honey, etc. It can be consumed both hot and cold.
As we can see, there are countless cherry sauces. Each chef has his favorites and his own creations, with ingredients as diverse as honey, lemon, orange and, on occasion, a splash of liquor such as vermouth, brandy, port, whiskey, etc. can also be added.
Savory dishes with cherries in syrup
These are the most common dishes where we can taste cherries in syrup, either in sauce or in its usual format:
Meats
Cherries in syrup are highly appreciated in garnishes. They can be used in pieces or with delicious cherry sauces, whether with cherry jam or otherwise. They usually accompany stewed or baked meats, especially red meats, such as pork tenderloin, lamb, suckling pig or roast veal, bacon, Iberian pork, etc. Game meat also combines very well with cherries, an example may be deer, wild boar, quail or duck.
Duck magret works very well with cherry sauce that has a little touch of honey, as it increases the sweetness of the meat and is delicious. If you also add a bit of red wine, the result is really surprising, with an explosion of very intense flavour on the palate.
Fish
Fish is another of the main dishes that combines very well with cherries in syrup, just like meat, they can be served in pieces, along with vegetables, or also in sauce. They are usually cooked fish that are a bit dry and need tastier ingredients, such as sea bass in salt, baked sea bream, roasted salmon, smoked trout, battered catfish, baked white tuna or mackerel, grouper, tuna tartare, loin of croaker, etc.
At Lazaya preserved fruits the best cherries in syrup for professionals for more than 8 decades. We have different options so that you can prepare delicious savory dishes with cherries in syrup, such as different brixes and sizes, cherries with or without pits, with or without stems, in water, with or without sugar, etc. Contact us and tell us what you need. Talk later?