This Cranberry Orange Fig Compote makes a luscious side served with turkey, ham, prime rib, or other holiday meat. It’s also good when accompanying a sandwich made of one or more of those meats the day after the big meal. Or spoon it around a soft creamy cheese and scoop it up with crackers or toast. We’ve been known to whisk a tablespoon or two into a homemade vinaigrette dressing, as well. On its own, it stores well in the refrigerator in a covered container for over a week.
The History of Fig Compote
Figs are one of the oldest cultivated fruits, with evidence of their domestication dating back to around 5000 BCE in the Middle East. They were highly prized in ancient cultures, including the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. Because ancient societies needed to extend the bounty of the harvest season to through the dormant months of winter, they developed various preservation methods, including drying, canning, and making preserves. Compote, a term derived from the French word for “mixture,” typically refers to fruits cooked in sugar syrup in combination with other fruits, spices, and flavorings.
Cranberry Orange Fig Compote Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large orange
- 12 oz (1 bag) fresh cranberries
- 1 large shallot, peeled and chunked
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp mustard seed
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ¾ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground New Mexican red chile or cayenne
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- Juice of 1 large lemon
- ¾ cup chopped dried figs
- 1/3 cup shelled pine nuts or pistachios
Instructions
- Zest the peel of the orange. Slice off the bitter white pith from the orange and discard it. Pull the orange into segments, discarding any strings, and dice the segments into approximately ½-inch pieces.
- Place the orange zest in a medium saucepan. Add the cranberries, sugar, mustard seed, ginger, cinnamon, cumin, chile, and salt.
- Cook uncovered over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries pop and sugar has dissolved. Stir in orange pieces, lemon juice, figs, and nuts, cook for another minute, then remove from the heat.
- Serve the compote warm or chilled. It will keep for at least a week, covered and refrigerated.
Recipes by Cheryl Alters Jamison / Styling by Keith Recker and Julia Platt Leonard / Photography by Tira Howard / Thanks to Brad Furry and Bradyn Furry
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