Plum compote is a sweet and nutritious dish made by slowly heating prunes, water, sugar or honey, and vanilla. Butter and spices like cloves and cinnamon can also be added. The slow heating process is key to extracting the best flavor and texture. It can be eaten with oatmeal, ice cream, or used as a dipping sauce for red meats. It is also used as a filling for desserts and can include other fruits like apricots, apples, or cherries.
In addition to their digestive and nutritional benefits, prunes are consumed worldwide for their sweet flavor and tender texture. In many cultures, plum compote is a common and more appetizing way to get a regular dosage of this health-promoting fruit. Like compotes from other fruits, such as peaches, rhubarb, figs, or apricots, plum compote is made by slowly heating a simple combination of water and/or butter, prunes, sugar or honey, and a touch of vanilla.
Butter is used in some compotes and not in others. For plum compote, cooks can go either way or use both butter and a little water. After washing the plums, they are added to a pan with water, sugar and often some butter. For every dozen prunes, about 1 cup (about 237 mL) of water should suffice. Sugar or honey is added to taste, with 3 cups (about 710 mL) of water requiring about 0.5 cups (about 117 mg) of sugar to be sufficiently sweet.
Just a few drops of vanilla extract will go a long way in rounding out the sweetness of the plum compote, as will a pinch of salt, surprisingly. Others add nuts such as chopped walnuts or pistacios to the pot as they simmer, or simply serve the nuts on the side. Some chefs also use equal parts brown sugar and granulated sugar or equal parts honey and sugar. Each combination will produce a slightly different final taste. Common spices also added to plum compote are cloves, cinnamon, citrus peel, tea leaves, and even brandy or other liqueurs.
The key to extracting the best flavor from plum compote is a slow heating process. Cooks need to stir the pot frequently with a spoon to fully meld the flavors and soften the prunes. The liquid should cook over medium-low heat for as long as necessary for the plums to soften further and the compote to become a syrupy liquid.
This compote is not only eaten with oatmeal and ice cream, but also as a dipping sauce for some red meats. It is also used as a filling for various desserts, particularly in Jewish households. In Greece, plum compote includes yogurt for a creamy twist. While sometimes used as a standalone fruit, plum compote will often include other fruits as well, such as apricots, apples, or cherries. It’s up to the chef to decide which fruits could use a little more sweetness and sauce.
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