A sweet, fresh sauce can heighten flavors of both sweet and savory dishes, and this easy, homemade strawberry compote recipe will do just that. You can spruce up many dishes with its balanced sweet and tart flavors.
While it is mostly made from strawberries, the orange juice and orange zest give the compote a slight citrus zing. The addition of honey will help to add a sweet touch. Here are some tips and information on how to make strawberry compote.
What is Strawberry Compote?
You might be wondering, what is strawberry compote? It is a chunky fruit sauce made with strawberries that are slowly cooked with sugar syrup. What makes it different from another fruit sauce, coulis, is that compote is a chunky sauce while coulis is made with puréed fruit, giving it a smoother texture.
What Can You Do With It?
While compote can be jarred, it is often used immediately in a dish, especially if it is homemade and from fresh fruit. When it comes to its use, it can be put on both sweet and savory dishes, the same way you would a jam.
For sweet applications, you can top it on ice cream, cake, cheesecake, pancakes, toast, waffles, or fill a cupcake with it. As for savory applications, it is recommended to serve it with duck dishes like duck confit, seared duck breast or fois gras (fattened duck liver).
History
Where did fruit compote come from? The hint is in the name; compote is French for “mixture”. Fruit compote originated in 17th century France. The fruit is cooked in water with sugar and spices like vanilla, cinnamon sticks or, like in this strawberry compote recipe, orange zest and orange juice.
The French believed that the compote helped with the body’s reaction to humidity and was served with sour cream and biscuits as an afternoon snack. It is also a staple in Jewish cuisine for its simplicity, inexpensive ingredients, and lack of dairy products.
How will you use your strawberry compote? Let us know in the comments and please share the recipe!
Strawberry Compote
Ingredients
- 1 pound strawberries - cleaned, green parts removed
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 2 ½ tablespoons sugar or honey
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Slice the strawberries in half. You can leave small strawberries whole.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the strawberries with the orange juice, orange zest, sweetener and salt.
- Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want to cook it until the berries just start to soften and break down. (It will take longer to get to a boil if using frozen berries.)
- Mix the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water in a small bowl. Whisk it into the strawberry mixture and simmer for 1 more minute, until it thickens.
- Remove from heat and let cool.
- Serve! Store your compote in glass jars in the refrigerator. It should last up to two weeks.
Notes
- You can use fresh or frozen strawberries.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
Looking to sharpen your culinary skills? Check out How to Grill Carne Asada