Storytelling Through Recipes — Sapphire Grape Compote
Recipes from a culinary school grad who likes to talk — a lot
This is gonna be a quick recipe, it only takes a few ingredients and has lots of uses!
My mom is constantly sending me links to articles about food festivals, various restaurants, or random cooking hacks she finds interesting. The most recent was about how to keep a bundt cake from sticking to the mold (answer: it’s cake goop. weird, right?). After reading through that article, I followed the author’s link to his Instagram page to see what else he’s written about. [The author/retired pastry chef is Justin Burke. He’s a wealth of knowledge and I recommend checking him out!]. On his page, I saw a picture of what looked to be the most strangely appetizing thing I’d ever seen. It was a sapphire grape compote. Gorgeous color, nice gloss, but very unusual shape. I’d never seen sweet sapphire grapes before, but turns out they were developed in California and naturally cross-bred in order to achieve that unique elongated shape.
The recipe interested me particularly because Chef Burke brought up that grapes aren’t baked/cooked with enough — they’re an underrated ingredient. He’s completely right; I have thought of using virtually every fruit to cook with, but for some reason grapes never crossed my mind. I only ever eat them fresh, but that has since changed.
I forgot about that post until the next week, I went to the Persian store nearby to get some essentials. There are certain middle eastern foods/fresh vegetables that I can only get there, so I try to go a couple times a month. Lo and behold, the very first thing I saw when I walked in was sweet sapphire grapes. I’d never even heard of them until a week prior, let alone seen them in any grocery store. Then suddenly, there they are, right at the front of the store. Obviously I had to buy them and see their greatness for myself.
Sapphire grapes are sweet, crisp, and really great just as they are. Definitely a variety you should try if you find them near you. Cooked down, they also offer great opportunities for jam, compote, pie, cobblers, and the like. I made the compote out of them, which I used for a charcuterie board, and for an almond-grape crumble!
*this recipe is by Justin Burke. I just tweaked one or two small details and wanted to share with you! The recipe for the crumble is mine however, and is one I’ll share in the next post**
Recipe Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- pinch kosher salt
- 3 cups sweet sapphire grapes, whole
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground cardamom
About the ingredients:
~The original recipe calls for 1/2 cup sugar. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth so I lessened it. Plus, the grapes are already naturally sweet, and that sweetness only intensifies as it cooks since the sugars get released and slightly caramelized. If you’re definitely going to bake with it however, you can sweeten it up as much as you like for your dessert.
~I squeezed more lemon than the original(which was 1 Tbsp.) because I think the tartness adds a lot to the compote. I also put cardamom in addition to the cinnamon because its one of my favorite spices and goes really nicely with grapes.
~cornstarch thickens up the compote and creates that viscous, glossy sheen on the grapes. This makes it ideal as a filling for pies since it’s not too loose or watery. Just be sure to cook the compote enough so there’s no raw cornstarch taste or texture.
Recipe Instructions:
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add water, then the remaining ingredients and stir to combine; coating grapes fully.
- Turn the heat to medium low, uncovered. Right when it begins to bubble, turn to low and cover with the lid slightly ajar. Allow to simmer , stirring occasionally so the sugar doesn’t. Cook until dark purple, a few grapes have popped, and the sauce thickens; about five minutes. (The sauce should coat a wooden spoon)
- Remove from heat and let cool.
It’s that easy! This can sit in the fridge in an airtight container for about a week. Use it in any application you want, or eat it straight with a spoon. The possibilities are endless :)
I‘m sure you’ll like this recipe as much as I do! I was compelled to give it a try because I found it so unique, and I’m glad I did. Check out Justin’s page for more amazing recipes, and join me on Instagram @elgamil.sahar for more of my content!
Until next time Storytellers,
Sahar Elgamil ❤
