Cardamom chocolate mousse with fresh cherry compote

Preparation

Bruise the cardamom pods. Separate the eggs. Break the dark chocolate into small pieces. Stone the cherries.

For the Chocolate Mousse

For the Cherry Compote

And the rest...

1. 1 To make the mousse, steep the cardamom pods in 1 tbsp of boiling water per pod for 10 minutes.
2. 2 Strain the water into a heatproof bowl and discard the cardamom pods. Add the chocolate.
3. 3 Sit the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water and stir occasionally, until the chocolate is melted. Remove from the heat.
4. 4 Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, followed by the butter.
5. 5 Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff, then gradually add the sugar, whisking between each addition.
6. 6 Fold into the chocolate mixture and spoon into 6 dessert glasses. Chill for at least 2 hours.
7. 7 To make the compote, put the sugar and port in a small pan and stir over a gentle heat until the sugar has dissolved.
8. 8 Split the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Stir them into the port mixture and simmer for 2 minutes.
9. 9 Add the cherries and continue to simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until just tender.
10. 10 Chill until the mousses are ready to serve, then spoon over the compote.