Compote of Figs
Ingredients
Directions
Soak the figs
Put the required quantity of figs with the juice and peel of 1 or 2 lemons in a basin.
Pour over sufficient boiling water to cover the figs.
Leave the figs in the water until cold.
Make the syrup and cook
For every 2 pounds of fruit, put 2 pounds of granulated sugar and 1 pint of water in a preserving pan.
Boil until the sugar is dissolved.
Drain the figs.
Put the figs in the syrup with 1 thinly sliced lemon without seeds.
Simmer gently until the figs are tender.
Leave the figs in the syrup until cold.
Serve
Group the figs in the center of a glass dish.
Pour the syrup over the figs.
Serve.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Figs (in the method)
- Form the main body of the compote and soften into tender fruit during simmering.
- Granulated sugar (in the method)
- Sweetens the dish and helps preserve the fruit in a thick syrup.
- Lemons
- Add acidity and aroma that brighten the sweetness of the figs and syrup.
The step that matters
Simmer gently until the figs are tender. Boiling hard can break the figs apart and cloud the syrup. A gentle simmer lets the fruit soften while it holds its shape and the sugar syrup stays clear.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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