I first met the husk cherry in the fall of 2009, when a quart of these dynamos appeared in my fridge by way of my farm share. At first glance, they seemed foreign, yet familiar. As a fan of the mighty tomatillo, I figured that I had my hands on maybe a more tart member of the same family. The husk cherry has a wonderful golden color, a light sweetness in its scent, and none of the stickiness of a tomatillo liberated from its papery prison. Part tomato, part pineapple, sweet but not cloying, tart but not sour, it’s a fruit with serious potential.

That first summer, I tried them in everything. Salads, salsas, desserts, sauces—they perform admirably in almost every culinary application. They pair well with meats, are fantastic with soft cheeses, and are particularly great with avocadoes. The fruit breaks down quickly under heat and the skin is pleasant to eat, so they’re easy to cook with, without tannins marring the flavor of a sauce or dessert.

In my various attempts at developing a recipe that really stands out, I have found out a few things about the noble husk cherry. Man, has this thing gotten around. The berry itself originated in Central America, in the higher altitudes of Peru, Colombia and Ecuador. The plant was originally cultivated by settlers of the Cape of Good Hope, which is where it got the name “cape gooseberry.” It also goes by the giant ground cherry, uchuva, and pok pok, among others. Soon after its cultivation, it was carried by settlers to Australia, then New Zealand and, by way of those countries, further on to China. According to my limited research (which included a few conversations with Suddhayu at Touching Earth Farm in Kittery), these berries, left in their husks, have a shelf life of 30 to 45 days, which makes it no small wonder that they have found their way to the corners of the Earth as a bumper crop.

I’ve spent a lot of time mulling over flavor combinations, and after about four or five attempts, I’ve struck a balance between some common savory and sweet ingredients in a compote recipe that works really well with pork and chicken. It’s also great on bread or ice cream. True to the spirit of the fruit, this should keep for about six weeks when refrigerated. Thanks to the sugars and wine, it should taste awesome the whole time. May the pok pok treat you as well as it has me.

husk cherry compote

4 cups husk cherries (about 1½ qts.)
2 oz. unoaked white wine
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. freshly ground cardamom (or cinnamon)
pinch of kosher salt

Using a saucepan, cook the husk cherries, salt, and wine together over low heat for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and mash the fruit until you have medium sized chunks. Stir the sugar into the mash until it is completely dissolved. Add the cardamom (or cinnamon) and return to the heat. Bring the fruit back to a simmer and let it cook for about an hour uncovered, until the compote has reduced in volume by about a third and the seeds have softened. Be careful when checking for flavor or doneness, as this mixture holds heat really well. Once your mixture has reduced, stir in the lemon juice, transfer it to a container and cool completely before serving.

Russ Graham is a local roustabout, dessert chef at The Black Birch, guitar teacher, bartender, and scoundrel. He can be found doing all of those things, all of the time, somewhere near you.