Cold Cherry Soup (Meggyleves) - Arnie Somogyi

Ingredients:
500g Morello cherries - available in jars from most supermarkets
A bottle of Riesling wine
60g sugar
A piece of cinnamon stick
600 ml of cream - half soured, half whipping
The rind from one lemon and the juice from two
A very large brandy (not optional)
A large Palinka (fruit brandy - plum, peach etc.....)

Method:
Pour the Palinka into a glass and knock it back in one go.

Start cooking.

Put the cherries in a pan.
Add the wine, sugar, cinnamon, lemon rind and juice.
Slowly bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit for about 15 minutes.
Strain into a clean pan and slowly bring to the boil again.
While you are waiting, liquidise some of the strained cherries.
When the soup is boiling add the cherries - whole and pureed.
Quickly remove the pan from the stove and cool.
Stir in the brandy.
Put the cream into a large serving bowl.
Stir in the soup.

Serve - well chilled!