Equipment
Ingredients
Compote Base
- 300 g cherries, pitted, fresh or frozen
- 60 g honey, liquid
- 30 ml orange juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 g orange zest, finely grated
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 g kosher salt
Flavor Enhancer
- 30 ml vodka
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Combine the pitted cherries, honey, freshly squeezed orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon stick, and a pinch of kosher salt in a medium saucepan.
Place the saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer around 90°C/195°F. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cherries have softened and released their juices.
Stir the vodka into the simmering mixture. Continue to cook for an additional 3 minutes to allow the harsh alcohol bite to evaporate while reducing the liquid into a thin syrup.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Carefully fish out and discard the cinnamon stick. Let the compote rest for at least 10 minutes before serving; it will thicken as it cools.
Chef's Notes
- Using frozen cherries is perfectly fine and often yields a beautifully jammy consistency. Do not thaw them before cooking; simply add 3 to 4 extra minutes to the initial simmer.
- The vodka acts as a flavor carrier rather than making the dish taste strongly of alcohol. Alcohol molecules bond with both fat and water, helping to deliver the volatile aromatic compounds from the orange zest and cinnamon directly to your flavor receptors.
- For a thicker, glossier syrup reminiscent of pie filling, whisk 3g of cornstarch with 5ml of cold water to create a slurry. Stir this into the simmering compote during the final minute of cooking.
- If you want a textural contrast, you can roughly chop half of the cherries while leaving the other half whole before cooking.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 week — Store in an airtight glass jar. Reheat gently before serving.
Freezer: 3 months — Leave headspace in the container for expansion.
Reheating: Warm gently in a saucepan over low heat or microwave in 15-second intervals until heated through.
