Cinnamon tapioca brûlée with cherry gastrique

Total time: 1 hour, plus several hours chilling time, plus 4 hours soaking time

Servings: 6

Note: From Josef Centeno, executive chef at Opus Restaurant. Good-quality small tapioca pearls are available at Le Sanctuaire in Santa Monica. You will need 6 (4 1/2-by-1-inch) ramekins, or any ramekins that hold about one-half cup.

Tart cherry gastrique

1 1/2 cups sugar, divided

1/2 vanilla bean, scraped

1/2 cup tart dried cherries (no sugar added)

1/2 cup banyuls or sherry vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon fresh tarragon, minced

1. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water and one-half cup sugar to boil. Add the vanilla bean and dried cherries and turn off the heat. Let it macerate until the cherries are soft and plump, about 4 minutes for lightly dried, soft cherries and 15 minutes for hard, fully dried cherries. Strain the cherries, dsicard the vanilla bean and set aside.

2. In a clean medium saucepan (make sure the pan has no traces of fat in it or the caramel will crystallize), cook the remaining sugar over medium-low heat until it turns a dark amber color and the sugar is completely dissolved, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the pan. Stir the sugar with a wooden spoon occasionally to prevent the caramel from burning.

3. Slowly add the vinegar 2 tablespoons at a time. Be very careful because the hot caramel will splatter and bubble. Continue to add the vinegar until it is completely incorporated, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Stir in the salt and tarragon, then the reserved cherries. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes, or until syrupy. When cool, transfer to a container and keep at room temperature until ready to serve. (To clean your saucepan, fill the pan with water and bring it to a boil to melt the caramel.) Makes 1 cup of sauce.

Cinnamon tapioca brûlée and assembly

1/2 cup small pearl tapioca

3 cups whole milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract