Poaching cherries in pastis results in a deep, dark crimson liquid that is sweet and sour with a heady aniseed hit. It is something syrupy, exotic and vivid to pour around your white vanilla-speckled set cream. Make the panna cotta the day before you plan to serve it.
'Here's a feast with a Southern French slant to celebrate the end of spring and beginning of summer,' says chef Alex Jackson of Leila's Shop in Shoreditch, E2. It starts with carefully chosen crudités with a punchy anchovy dip, then a simple asparagus tart with seasoned ricotta and Parmesan. Next, a grand aïoli is the most convivial of dishes, centred round a sauce fiery with garlic and heady with olive oil. The main feature is a whole roast John Dory, jumbled with clams, courgettes, more garlic and sweet basil, along with white wine, shellfish and olive oil to create ambrosial roasting juices. To finish, there is a set cream with poached cherries, their crimson liquor spiked with pastis.'
