Thursday, 13 August 2009

Gorgeous grape, honey and cardamom compote


I made the best recipe for a while the other day. By accident from virtually free ingredients and it was so ridiculously simple. My chef friend Stephen gave me a big bag of seedless black grapes to take home from a tray that were about to go over. We nibbled a few then I realised I would have to cook them to save them. I destalked them and put them in a saucepan with about a tablespoon of honey I'd rescued from the tail end of a pot and shaken up with boiling water to dislodge it and about 6 cardamom pods, brought the whole lot to the boil and simmered them for about 7 or 8 minutes.

Result: an exotically aromatic, sophisticated-tasting fruit compote that you could either serve as a light dessert or with yoghurt and granola as we enjoyed it the next day for breakfast. It was just fantastically satisfying to make something that tasted so good from produce that could easily have gone to waste. Who said frugal food was boring?
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7 comments:

  1. verity13 August 2009 at 09:14

    Ooh, what a wonderful picture. That does sound good.

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  2. James13 August 2009 at 11:50

    I discovered this when I first moved away from home and had a load of fruit going over - it made a warm fruit salad. Fresh ginger is nice in there too, and if you're doing it for a dessert a spot of whatever liqueur you have around, or ginger wine, or whatever homemade cordial you have.

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  3. Unknown13 August 2009 at 13:29

    It's so satisfying to make a tasty meal from odds and ends. As cooking is all about experimenting and putting together ingredients. So long you follow basic commonsense, there no reason why it shouldn't work. Variety is the spice of life!

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  4. Diane13 August 2009 at 16:23

    I make compote whenever I have either free fruit, or fruit that is about to bad, and is looking a bit mushy. I just had peach compote over yogurt for breakfast, and it was GREAT!

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  5. Fiona Beckett14 August 2009 at 11:56

    Nice ideas, james. A slug of sloe or damson gin I've found is particularly beneficial ;-)

    And it is satisfying, Robert, I agree. Makes you feel all smug and virtuous.

    Peach compote sounds great, Diane. Love that idea

    And thanks for the comment about the pic, Verity, much appreciated.

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  6. Anonymous16 August 2009 at 15:33

    Whisper it! Free fruit is out there for the taking if you don't mind the scratches:BLACKBERRIES. I know they work well with cardamom and coriander seed is fabulous too

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  7. Fiona Beckett18 August 2009 at 11:56

    Ooo, blackberries. I love them. And just coming into season . . .

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