Holiday Fruit Compote Flavored with Red Wine Spice

Holiday Fruit Compote Flavored with Red Wine Spice

Holiday Fruit Compote with Red Wine, Vanilla, and Spices

During my Madrid vacation, I couldn't help but notice the ladies chattering over delicious-sounding recipes for this classic Christmastime compote. The mouthwatering combination of dried and fresh fruit, red wine, vanilla, and spices intrigued me! To create an impressive holiday dish, follow this simple recipe:

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients (17)

• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 6 cloves
• 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
• 8 black peppercorns
• 1 orange peel strip, fresh and pith-free
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1/2 cup sugar, or to taste
• 6 halved Calimyrna figs
• 8-10 prunes, halved
• 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1 ripe but firm Bosc pear, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1/2 cup halved seedless dark grapes
• Pomegranate seeds for garnish
• 1 bottle of red Rioja wine (3 1/4 cups)
• 3/4 cup halved dried apricots (preferably Californian)
• 1 cup dried cherries or peaches, halved (or a combo of the two)
• 1/4 cup lightly toasted pine nuts, for garnish

Instructions

1. Wrap the cinnamon sticks, cloves, vanilla bean, peppercorns, and orange peel in two layers of cheesecloth. Tie securely.
2. In a 3-quart saucepan, combine the wine, brandy, sugar, and cheesecloth bag. Add 1/2 cup water to mix. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
3. Add figs, apricots, cherries, peaches, and prunes. Simmer uncovered on low heat for 10 minutes as the fruit softens.
4. Stir in apple and pear, then cover the saucepan and simmer for another 10 minutes until fruit is softened. Add grapes and cook until all fruit is tender (5 minutes). Let cool completely before serving in serving bowls. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and pine nuts if desired.

If you plan to serve the compote over ice cream or cake, you may wish to strain it before serving. Pour the cooled compote into a sieve set over a bowl, saving the fruit and poaching liquid separately. Bring the poaching liquid to a boil, then simmer until it is reduced by half. Return the fruit to the reduced liquid, then serve. Enjoy your homemade holiday fruit compote!

Happy cooking!

1. The classic holiday fruit compote incorporates prunes, a key ingredient in the recipe.
2. For the best taste, proper nutrition is essential in this recipe, with fruit, sugar, and red Rioja wine among the essential components.
3. After simmering the fruit, grapes are added to the compote for an additional burst of flavor, yielding a total of 6 servings.

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