Sauces & Condiments French

Chunky Cherry Compote

Cherries, shallots, walnuts, rosemary, wine or cherry juice and honey cook down into a chunky sweet-savoury compote for chicken or pork.

Chunky Cherry Compote

What It Is

Cherries, shallots, walnuts, rosemary, wine or cherry juice and honey cook down into a chunky sweet-savoury compote for chicken or pork.

Origin

This is my french-leaning version, built around the ingredients and method that give the recipe its character.

Fun Fact

Sweet fruit with savoury herbs works because acidity, sugar, salt and aromatic compounds can bridge meat and fruit instead of making them taste like two recipes arguing.

Prep
10 min
Cook
12 min
Total
22 min
Servings
8 tbsps
(double it if teenagers are involved)
Difficulty
easy
Gluten-Free Dairy-Free
Diet
Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
Away Mission
80 min walk
(or 12 minutes arguing with a Klingon about honour)
#chunky-cherry-compote #french #sauces-condiments #spoon-and-scribble

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp minced shallots
  • 2½ cups pitted sweet cherries
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 tsp fresh rosemary
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • ¼ cup Port, red wine or cherry juice
  • 1 tbsp honey

Steps

  1. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté shallots 2–3 minutes.
  2. Add walnuts, rosemary and cherries. Reduce heat to medium and cook 4–5 minutes until cherries soften.
  3. Add wine, Port or cherry juice and honey. Simmer until the fruit and liquid reduce to a syrupy compote.
  4. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm or cooled.

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Notes

Taste before the final adjustment. A recipe should guide dinner, not bully it. If it needs a little more acid, sweetness, salt or heat, make the change in small steps instead of launching the whole spice rack into orbit.

Nutrition Facts
Per 2 tbsp
Calories 350
Burning this off: a brisk argument with a Costco parking lot.
% Daily Value*
Fat 15.0 g 20%
Saturated + Trans 1.5 g 8%
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 0 mg 0%
Carbohydrate 53.0 g
Fibre 1.5 g 5%
Sugars 51.0 g 51%
Protein 2.5 g
Potassium 90 mg 2%
Calcium 20 mg 2%
Iron 0.7 mg 4%
*5% or less is a little, 15% or more is a lot. Sodium levels calculated in a country with universal healthcare — and it's free, so don't worry about it too much.
A genuinely respectable nutrition profile. No red flags here — go ahead and feel a little smug about it.

Substitutions

Use equivalent ingredients where needed for allergies or availability, but keep the main sweet/sour/salty/spicy balance intact. This is cooking, not a hostage negotiation.

Storage

Store in a clean airtight container in the refrigerator. Use a clean spoon each time because introducing mystery crumbs is how condiments develop side quests.

Freezing

Most dry seasonings do not need freezing. For wet sauces, freeze in small portions only if the ingredients tolerate it; creamy emulsions may separate after thawing.