Cherries and Chocolate

It has taken a fair amount of failure for me to finally realize this dish.  Chocolate and cherries are not a new combination, in fact many would consider it ordinary.  Fortunately for me ordinary is good.  We began with our lamb sweetbreads, which we coated with a hot glaze flavored with cocoa, smoked paprika and floral spices.  Once the glaze was set, we were able to reheat the sweetbreads to order with the glaze retaining its structure while the sweetbreads became hot within.  As the sweetbreads warmed in the oven,  we arranged the accompaniments.  At first, I wanted to marry the cocoa sweetbreads with our cranberry-fermented black bean condiment.  Yet, in tasting the combination, the cranberry and black bean clashed with the spiced cocoa.  I returned to our pantry and pulled out the ancho-cherry puree and glazed cherries.  The cherry puree was more balanced and smoother on the palate, a near perfect match to the sweetbreads.  I then sought out texture for the dish.  I drew upon our candied corn for texture and a sweet salinity.  Finally, some epazote added some intense herbal notes to the final dish.