Apple and blackberry compote
Ingredients
Makes about 600ml, serves 4
1kg Bramley apples
25ml Somerset cider brandy or apple juice
60–75g caster sugar, to taste
100g blackberries
Instructions
- Peel, core and cut the apples into 3cm chunks. Place in a heavy-based pan with the cider brandy or apple juice and the sugar
- Cover and simmer over a gentle heat for 10–15 minutes, or until the apple is soft. Add the blackberries and cook, uncovered, for a further 3–5 minutes, or until they are starting to soften
- Taste and add more sugar if the compote is too sharp. Serve hot or cold with Greek yoghurt or ice cream.
Variations
Apple and date compote Omit the blackberries. Replace the cider brandy with water and add a pinch of cinnamon. Add 200–250g chopped dried dates 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Makes about 800ml/Serves 4–6
Pear and apple compote Omit the blackberries. Replace the 1kg apples with 500g apples and 500g pears, peeled, cored and chopped, and cook with cider brandy, Poire William (pear liqueur) or water. Add 1 tbsp chopped preserved stem ginger (drained of its syrup) at the end of cooking, if desired. The cooking time will vary depending on the ripeness of the pears; choose fruit that are ripe but not soft. Makes about 850ml/Serves 4–6
Apple and orange compote Omit the blackberries. Add the finely grated zest of 1 orange to the apples and replace the cider brandy with orange juice or half water and half Cointreau. Peel and segment the orange (see page 530) and chop roughly. Stir into the apple mixture when it is completely soft and remove from the heat immediately. Depending on the sweetness of the fruit, this compote may need a little more sugar, about 20–30g. Makes about 650ml/Serves 4