What’s A Compote???
Hello, everyone! This post is going to be short and sweet just like this recipe! Today, we have a strawberry mint compote.
So, what is a compote, you ask? A compote is fruit that has been stewed to create a jammy fruity sauce. The fruit breaks down into chunks and releases its juices, and, as it cooks, the juices reduce into a syrupy sauce. You can use almost any fruit to create a compote, and you can also use either fresh or frozen fruit.
For this recipe, I decided to use strawberries as my fruit base and mint to give it a fresh twist. This compote is sweet, tangy, fruity, fresh, and soo good.
How To Compote
Making a compote is pretty simple.
First place 1/3 of the strawberries into a pot.
Then add in the lemon zest and juice, sugar, water, and salt.
Bring this mixture to a boil then lower the flame so that it is simmering.
Once the compote has simmered and the strawberries have broken down, add in your slurry. A slurry is a mixture of a starch (such as cornstarch) and cold water. This is activated by heat and will thicken the juices to form more of a syrup consistency.
When the compote has thickened, add in the remaining strawberries, mint, and vanilla extract. I like to add in part of my fruit at the end of the cooking process to create texture within the compote so that it isn’t all mush.
*Tip: add in fresh herbs with delicate leaves at the end of the cooking process to extract most of its flavor. If you add in delicate fresh herbs at the beginning of a cooking process, their flavors become muted as the dish cooks.
This compote can be served with a multitude of things: cake, yogurt, oatmeal, french toast, ice cream, or waffles. Compotes are one dish that I think are easy to experiment with. Try changing the fruit base or use orange zest instead of lemon zest. Get creative!
If you check back in next week, you can see what I decided to pair this strawberry mint compote with! Can you guess what it will be? Let me know in the comment section down below or on my instagram post! I hope you have a great day, and I’ll talk to you in my next post!
Strawberry Mint Compote
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Strawberries (quartered or diced)
- Zest from 1/2 a Lemon
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 1/2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
- 1/4 cup Water
- Pinch of Salt
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 – 1 1/2 tsp Cornstarch
- 1 tbsp Mint (chopped)
Instructions
- Combine 1 cup of the strawberries (reserving the rest for later), the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, water, and salt in a small pot. Heat over medium high heat until the mixture comes to a boil.
- Once the mixture has boiled, stir and lower the flame so that it is simmering. Simmer the mixture until the strawberries have begun to break down, about 5-8 minutes, depending on how ripe your berries are.
- In a small bowl combine the cornstarch and 1 tbsp of cold water. Mix until the cornstarch has dissolved. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the compote and stir until it has thickened.
- Once the compote has thickened, add in the remaining 1/2 cup of strawberries, vanilla extract, and mint. Stir to combine. Remove the compote from the heat and serve. Enjoy!
Definitely a winner!
Glad you enjoyed it!!