A taste memory updated
Growing up in Los Angeles, I couldn’t wait to go to Knott’s Berry Farm for a fun family day. But I really couldn’t wait for our early dinners.
Picture a big plate of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and cherry rhubarb sauce. The rhubarb was so unexpected and delicious. I’ve made rhubarb pies and rhubarb sauce to accompany a juicy pork roast. But I have never made this compote before.
What’s a compote?
It’s fruit cooked in a sugar syrup. What could be simpler to prepare? Usually thought of as a dessert, fruit compotes are equally agreeable as a spread on warm scones, the filling for a pie, as a topping for pancakes or waffles, as a sauce to pork chops or just served in a glass bowl to end a meal. I’ve never been sure why Knott’s Berry Farm paired up its rhubarb compote with fried chicken, but I am glad it did!
Rhubarb is a plant with edible red and green stalks, similar to celery, that are very sour. Thought of as a springtime vegetable, field rhubarb usually arrives in April and is available until
July. Hot house rhubarb is available year-round.
Choose stalks that are firm and tender. Rhubarb always needs to be sweetened and is often paired with sweet strawberries.
In this recipe, I’ve added grated ginger, giving the compote a zippy layer of flavor.
You’ll notice that you don’t cook the strawberries, so that they retain their texture as the compote cools. I like to add an extra grating of ginger once the compote is cooked for just a little spicy kick. Whichever way you decide to serve this, your guests will sing your praises.