Cherry Pottage

2 lb Fresh ripe cherries
12 fl oz red wine
6 oz White sugar
2 oz Unsalted butter
8 oz Soft white breadcrumbs
1 Pinches salt
Flower heads of small clove pinks or gilded whole cloves
Coarse white sugar for sprinkling


Wash the cherries and discard the stems and stones. Puree the fruit in a blender with 5fl oz of the wine and half the sugar. Add a little more wine if you need to. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the fruit puree, breadcrumbs, remaining wine, sugar and the salt.

Simmer, stirring steadily, until the puree is very thick. Pour into a serving bowl, cover and leave to cool. When quite cold, decorate the edge of the bowl with flowers or whole cloves and sprinkle coarse sugar over the centre.