With Christmas upon us, we will be signing off for a few days for celebrating, cooking and eating. We would like to wish you happy holidays full of merriment and treats. Thank you for following Flavorista and for sharing our posts, we appreciate the time you spend with us.
Chef John of Q’s restaurant in Boulder shared this recipe with Flavorista. He serves it with lamb loin. During the holiday season, this would also make a nice addition to any table or a great hostess gift. Cherry Central, in Michigan is a excellent resource for dried cherries.
Adjust the vinegar and sugar levels in this recipe to achieve a acidity/sweetness level that you like. A smoother texture can be achieved by chopping the cherries before simmering.
The addition of herbs or other flavoring ingredients can add additional complexity to the finished product. For instance, try adding a toasted, seeded, crushed ancho chile to the mixture at the beginning of the simmering process
Tart Cherry Compote
Yield is about 3 cups
2 cups tart dried cherries
2 cups pinot noir
1 Tbsp. mulling spices, wrapped in cheese cloth (optional)
1 cup Banyuls Vinegar or other good quality red wine vinegar
(Balsamic would be nice too only start with 1/2 a cup and add more if you desire.)
1 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. kosher salt or sea salt
1 Tbsp. coarse ground black pepper
3 fresh bay leaves
Reconstitute cherries with 2 cups boiled water. Combine cherries and liquid with the rest of the ingredients in a non-reactive sauce pan. Simmer slowly for about 20 minutes.
Remove the mulling spices and continue to cook until the fruit is very soft and the mixture is reduced and slightly syrupy for at least 25 minutes. Use at room temperature or hot.
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