Cherries Jubilee
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This effortless dessert brings the good vibes. Any dessert you set on fire is impressive. And its components remind me of my Black life — not a monolith. The origins of cherries jubilee go back to Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in the late 1800s, for which Auguste Escoffier, a famous French chef, prepared this dessert. If you are fortunate enough to shop in a place with an abundance of cherry varieties, do find Bing, sour or Rainier cherries; they all work for this dessert. Hands down, they have the most distinctive and complex flavors.
Scoop the ice cream into individual bowls or one large serving bowl and freeze.
Zest and juice the tangerines; set the zest aside and pour the juice into a large saucepan. Add the butter and place the pot over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the sugar, salt and cornstarch and whisk until smooth. Add the cherries and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then cook 2 to 3 minutes, until the cherries have softened slightly and the sauce is thickened.
If cooking indoors, check for anything that could catch fire overhead or off to the sides of the stove. If cooking outdoors, make sure you have a place to put the hot pan. Pour the whiskey over the cherries and carefully ignite it with a long-nosed lighter or long match. Let the flame die out naturally.
Immediately pour the cherries and sauce into the bowls over the ice cream. Finish with the tangerine zest.
Eat your way across L.A.
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