Easiest Ever 3-Ingredient Fruit Compote

Apricot! Plum! Cherry! Fig! A compote to zhush-up old fruit.

I have a (bad) habit of buying lots of fruit, eating a bunch, and then forlornly watching as the rest molders into a pile of rot. But no more! Enter the 3-ingredient fruit compote, a saving grace for fruit that’s past its prime. Pair it with a cheese board (FANCY), swirl it into your morning oatmeal, or plop a dollop of it on top of something creamy (I like to put it on whole milk ricotta or thick, whole milk yogurt). This is a no-recipe recipe in that you can swap the fruit and alcohol, and even adjust the amount of sugar to your taste. Whatever your compote ends up being, friends will be impressed and you can smile inwardly knowing it was super easy to make.

Pictured here is a cherry-port compote with some local ricotta cheese. I hate when a cookbook’s dessert section snobbily states the author “prefers fruit and maybe some good cheese” for dessert (puh-lease), but this really is a delightful dessert (or snack!).

Easiest Ever 3-Ingredient Fruit Compote

Ingredients:

1 cup of fruit of your choice, pits removed and cut into bite-sized pieces (cherries, plums, apricots, figs, and berries all work well). You can also mix fruits!

1/4 cup of port, brandy, red wine, vermouth, etc.

1/4 cup of sugar

Instructions:

1. Place a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the fruit, alcohol, and sugar and stir with a wooden spoon.

2. Bring to a steady simmer, stirring somewhat frequently, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the fruit mixture has thickened and is soft and jammy. Let cool before storing. Serve in a fancy metal bowl on a cheeseboard or dollop onto ricotta cheese in cute little ramekins.

3. That’s it. That’s the recipe.

3 Things I’m Loving This Month

1. Hounds of Love by Kate Bush: While I haven’t watched Stranger Things (it’s too violent for my delicate disposition), it’s hard to escape the explosion of popularity that Bush’s 1985 song Running Up That Hill has recently reached. While I can smugly say I liked the song before the show brought it back into the public eye (or, ear?), I hadn’t actually listened to the entire album. And boy, was I missing out! If you like Bush’s new-old hit, give the album a listen—it’s a fabulous theatrical narrative with warbling vocals and oddball (but delightful) samples (I would’ve never thought a cawing seagull could sound so ethereal).

2. Tonnato: I’ve always been slightly repulsed by canned tuna, but as my palate has matured (or, perhaps, as my senses have begun to dull with age 😉 ) I’ve dipped a trepidatious toe into trying tuna. Mind you, I wouldn’t touch a tuna sandwich with a ten-foot pole, but sneak it into pasta or fold it into a garlicky mayo (a.k.a tonnato), and I’m keener to eat it. Tonnato is particularly delicious slathered on some good bread with a thick slab of summer tomato and a boiled egg.

   

   A T.E.T. (Tomato, Egg, Tonnato) open-face sandwich

   3. Tojiro DP Petty/Utility Knife: If you’re like me and have small hands, a chef’s knife can feel a bit bulky. Enter the petty knife (review on Serious Eats forthcoming!), a knife that’s larger than a paring knife but smaller than a chef’s knife—and a great overall kitchen tool. I use my Tojiro to cut up all manner of vegetables and fruits and also to break down whole chickens (the nimble blade is super sharp and slips easily between meat and bone).