Damsons

Damsons are a glorious fruit. They can’t be eaten raw and are a chore to prepare and cook, but it’s only once a year …

I sometimes make damson ice-cream, but damson fool is the recipe for which I wait most greedily. This fool is not difficult to make, but it is stunning, utterly distinctive: you can taste in it both the almost metallic depth of the sour fruit and billowy sweetness of the bulky cream. And it’s wonderful after grouse.