Compote is a traditional French dessert made up of fruits. The actual meaning of ‘compote’ in French dialect is ‘mixture. This dish is prepared with various kinds of fruits and many other ingredients. Different versions of compote recipe are served as a traditional dish.
Compote is not only popular in French cuisine, but other cuisines also include this sweet dish with great pleasure. The recipe is prepared for making packed desserts that are usually sold in supermarkets. The commercially sold version of compote recipe is little different from the original one. It is in pureed form and has consistency like baby food. Pureed dish is typically used as a base for many other desserts.
Sometimes, this French recipe is confused with an Eastern European dish known as ‘kompote’. This 300 years old dish is a fruit punch drink containing similar ingredients like compote, but the actual preparation of both the dishes are relatively different.
History and Origin of Compote Recipe
Compote is believed to be originated in France in 17th century. Since then this dish is being served as a traditional dessert in Passover foods. Though French cuisine is the place of birth of this famous dish, but in United States of America, National compote day is celebrated every year on 1st March. This is a little known food holiday whose creator is also unknown. On this day, different varieties of compote are being prepared and served as dessert.
Ingredients Prescribed by Compote Recipe
Compote is essentially prepared with fruits and sugar syrup. Fruits may include orange, apple, berries and even dry fruits, Dry fruit version is also quite popular in French cuisine. The sugar syrup is prepared with sugar dissolved in little water over low flame. Various seasonings are also added to flavor the syrup. Seasonings may include vanilla essence, lemon or orange zest, cinnamon and clove powder. Clove and cinnamon can also be included in whole form for mild flavor. Raisins, grated coconut, crushed almonds and glazed fruits may also be incorporated to perk up the compote.
For garnish, whipped cream, vanilla sugar and powdered cinnamon are the well-suited ingredients. The dry fruit compote is normally prepared with added alcohol. Rum or kirsch is the popular alcohols added to this sweet dish. A pureed version is also very famous as dessert. Apples are normally pureed to make this dish. Pear, apricot and other fruits may also be pureed along with apple.
Method of Preparation of Compote Recipe
Fruit compote is typically prepared with stewing method. Fruit are cut into small pieces or used as whole. Sugar syrup is prepared and fruits are immersed in it for stewing on low flame. Various flavorings and other ingredients are added to enhance the flavor of the dish. Once the fruits are stewed, the whole mixture is kept for cooling.
Dry fruit variety is prepared by soaking the dry-fruits in a combination of water and alcohol. The mixture is then heated with sugar to make sugar syrup with dry fruits. Pureed version is simply made by pureeing the cooked apples and other fruits. The puree is seasoned with flavorings and kept for later use. Puree is typically made with the consistency of baby food. It can also be frozen and used as a when required.
Serving and Eating of Compote Recipe
Fresh fruit and dry fruit compote is served as a dessert in French as well as other international cuisines. The dessert may be served either chilled or warm. It can be presented in a large single dessert bowl or offered in single-serving bowls. Whipped cream, cinnamon powder or vanilla sugar may be garnished on the top of the compote.
Dried fruit compote recipe is traditionally included in Passover meals. Pureed dish is used in various other desserts such as ‘French apple tart’. This puree is also packed in large jars or in small single-serve containers and sold in supermarkets. These containers can be purchased from the market and served as a breakfast dish or as a dessert. It can also be eaten cold as a snack.
Being a sweet dish and fruit filled dessert; it is typically eaten with fork and dessert spoon. This dish is quite favorable among kids.
Nutritional Facts Related to Compote
Compote is a highly nutritional dish due to the presence of fruits. Fruits are always full of nutrients and all the nutrition goes into the syrup while stewing. Sugar may be harmful for obese and diabetic patients; hence honey may be used as an alternative.
Dry fruits and raisins are also quite healthy. Whipped cream should also be used in small quantities as excess of it is also not good for health.