Gingered Fruit Compote Recipes

MIXED BERRY COMPOTE

Steps:

• Dissolve cornstarch in brandy in a small bowl and set aside.
• Combine mixed berries, sugar, and honey in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Add cornstarch mixture and boil until berries break down and compote thickens to the desired consistency, 2 to 3 minutes.

DRIED FRUIT COMPOTE WITH GINGER SYRUP

Steps:

• Bring ginger beer, dried fruit, and 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to low and simmer until liquid becomes syrupy and mixture is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, 35-40 minutes. Let cool completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill.

WINTER FRUIT COMPOTE WITH SELECTION OF CHEESE

Steps:

• In a 4-quart saucepan or pot bring the first 6 ingredients to a simmer. Stir slowly to dissolve the sugar in the liquid. Add the remaining ingredients except the lemon juice and the cheese. When the liquid comes to a boil, adjust the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes to marry the flavors and soften the fruit. Turn off the heat then stir in the lemon juice. With a slotted spoon remove the fruit to a bowl. Bring the remaining syrup to a simmer and reduce until lightly thickened or when the bubbles formed on the top become small. Remove the syrup for the heat and when it is cool pour it over the fruit. The compote can be held in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Serve the compote at room temperature with the cheese.

WINTER FRUIT COMPOTE WITH GINGER

Steps:

• In a bowl let the cranberries soak in the orange juice for 30 minutes, drain them in a sieve set over a bowl, and reserve the juice. Reserve 1 large piece of the preserved ginger and in a blender or food processor purée the remaining ginger with the syrup and the reserved orange juice. In a deep 2-quart glass serving dish arrange half the cranberries, drizzle them with about 1/2 cup of the ginger mixture, and top them with the grapes. Drizzle the grapes with about 1/2 cup of the remaining ginger mixture, top them with the grapefruit, and drizzle the grapefruit with about 1/2 cup of the remaining ginger mixture. Top the grapefruit with the pineapple, drizzle it with the remaining ginger mixture, and arrange the remaining cranberries on top. Arrange the orange sections over the cranberries, chill the compote, covered, for at least 2 hours or overnight, and serve it garnished with the reserved ginger, cut into julienne strips.

QUINCE-GINGER COMPOTE

Steps:

• Bring wine, water, sugar, and ginger to a simmer in a medium saucepan over high heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Add quinces. (Add more water if needed to cover fruit.) Reduce heat, and simmer gently until quinces are tender, 25 to 45 minutes depending on ripeness of fruit.
• Transfer quinces to a bowl using a slotted spoon. Bring liquid in saucepan to a simmer, and cook until slightly syrupy, about 5 minutes. Remove, and discard ginger. Stir in lemon juice. Pour syrup over quinces. Let stand until cool. Refrigerate if desired.

WINTER FRUIT COMPOTE

Steps:

• In large saucepan, combine sugar, water and ginger; bring to a boil over high heat.
• Add dried fruit and bring back to a boil; immediately reduce heat to low simmer.
• Cook, uncovered, until fruit is not quite tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add cranberries and simmer, stirring occasionally, until cranberries pop.
• Stir in orange and apple.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool down.
• For dessert, serve warm over ice cream, or at room temperature over a plain cake, such as angel food cake or pound cake.
• Can also be served with yogurt; makes a particularly nice breakfast.

SPICED FRUIT COMPOTE

Steps:

• Place cinnamon sticks and cloves on a double thickness of cheesecloth; bring up corners of cloth and tie with kitchen string to form a bag., In a large saucepan, combine the orange juice, raisins, brown sugar, salt and ginger. Add spice bag; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes. Add fruit; simmer for 3 minutes. Discard spice bag. Serve fruit warm or cold with a slotted spoon.