Spiced Blush Wine Compote Recipes

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.

PINK WINE QUINCE COMPOTE

Steps:

• Place all ingredients, except quince, in the rice cooker bowl.
• Quarter and peel the quinces with a sharp paring knife. With a melon baller or knife, remove the entire core area, cleaning out all the hard bits. Cut each quarter into 4 slices. (Recently, I've just peeled the quince and then sliced around the core, avoiding the need to scrape out the seed area). Place the quince slices in the wine mixture. Close the cover and set for the porridge cycle. Open the cover twice during the cook cycle to release the steam.
• When cycle finishes, check the fruit - it should be very tender. If it is not, reset for a second cycle and check every 15 minutes until desired texture is achieved.
• Remove the bowl from the cooker and let cool. Pour the compote into a storage container, cover and refrigerate overnight. Keeps for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
• Note1: It's very important to clean the core carefully -there is a white membrane that will never soften.
• Note2: white zinfandel or a jug vin rose work fine; authors also suggest a Blanc de Pinot Noir, Lancer's or Mateus.
• Note3: I use only about half to 2/3 of the sugar and find this quite sweet enough.
• Note4: I see no reason why this could not be made in a regular rice cooker, a slow cooker, or simmered in a saucepan on the stove, but then you are on your own as to the time. Cooking time is based on my rice cooker, yours may differ.

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.

SERIOUSLY GOOD SPICED FRUIT COMPOTE

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients, except the fruits, into a large saucepan and slowly bring to the boil, uncovered. Boil the syrup for 5 minutes then remove the pan from the heat.
• Top and tail the oranges, then slice off the skin and every scrap of pith, using a small, sharp kitchen knife. Cradle each orange in the palm of your hand, hold it over the saucepan and cut out the segments, letting them drop into the syrup. Squeeze any juice from the debris into the syrup, too, then discard.
• Add the apricots and plums to the syrup and return the saucepan to a medium heat. Bring to the boil, then simmer the fruits for 10 minutes. Leave to cool, then chill for at least 2 hours.
• Serve the poached fruits just as they are or as a brûlée: whisk the milk into the fromage frais to loosen it a little, then divide the fruits and enough juice to cover them, among six ovenproof ramekins and spoon on the fromage frais, thickly. Dust with caster sugar and then 'burn' the sugar with a blow-torch. (Or put the ramekins on a heavy baking sheet, place it under a very hot grill and leave for 1-2 minutes until the sugar has caramelised.)

SWEET AND SPICY FIG COMPOTE

Steps:

• Heat figs, red wine, sugar, honey, red pepper flakes, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until wine is reduced and thickened, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

SPICED FRUIT COMPOTE WITH RICOTTA CREAM

Steps:

• Combine muscat, juices and sugar in a large pan, stir over heat without boiling until sugar dissolves. Bring to boil, simmer, uncovered without stirring for about 15 minutes or until mixture is thickened slightly.
• Add carambola, dates, dried fruits, cinnamon, split vanilla bean, cardamom and rind to syrup, Simmer uncovered without stirring 10 minutes or until fruit is tender. Cool syrup, cover, refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. DIscard cinnamon sticks, cardamom and vanilla bean, Serve with ricotta cream and crushed pistachios.
• Ricotta cream-.Beat cheese, icing sugar and cinnamon in small bowl with electric mixer until smooth. Stir in milk.

SPICED BLUSH WINE COMPOTE

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in heavy medium saucepan over low heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium. Simmer until fruits are tender and syrup is slightly reduced, about 25 minutes. Cool compote. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours. (Can be prepared up to 3 days ahead.)