My first introduction to re-constituted dried fruit was the pot of stewed prunes that my father would occasionally set to simmering on a back burner of the stove. Like my mother's penchant for rum raisin ice cream cones, I'm fairly convinced that some of that dish's appeal lay in the fact that neither my sisters nor I liked it. My father was then free to enjoy those prunes without pestering requests for tastes.
I confess I'm still not a fan of stewed prunes. I am, however, a fan of fruit compotes. I've been tinkering with a fruit compote recipe for the last year or so as a way to use up odd bits of dried fruit left over from other recipes, and I've come to enjoy it so much that I now purchase dried fruit with the sole intention of making fruit compote.
This is really more of a technique than a straight-forward recipe, so feel free to swap out whatever fruits you like or have on hand, as well as the spices and simmering liquid. Larger pieces of fruit (figs, apricots, peaches, prunes, etc.) should be cut into bite-sized pieces (best accomplished with those kitchen shears that came with your knife set). Wrapping your spices in a piece of tied cheesecloth would be a good idea also, but if you don't have any on hand, just toss the spices in with the fruit and fish them out after the compote has cooked and cooled. The liquid you use can be straight water or water with a combination of other liquids. There will be liquid left in the bottom of the saucepan after the fruit has cooked, and it will appear pretty thin at first but will thicken as the mixture cools.
I love this over granola and plain yogurt with a drizzle of honey, alongside vanilla poundcake, and more frequently, right out of the jar. As I'm writing this, it occurs to me that Couper and Patrick don't care for it quite as much as Matthew and I do, so we're free to enjoy it without requests to share. Maybe Dad was on to something.
Dried Fruit Compote
2 c dried fruit (I like figs, slab apricots, tart cherries and cranberries)
spices - cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, star anise, a pinch of ground nutmeg)
enough liquid to cover the fruit (water, red or white wine, citrus juice, or a mix)
citrus zest (I usually toss in the juice and zest of an orange, but use what you have on hand)
Put all the ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and keep covered in the saucepot. Let cool completely.
Comments