Vanilla-Poached Plum Compote
Also called plum compote, poached plums
Plums poached in a light vanilla syrup, served warm or at room temperature.
- Makes
- 4 servings
Reconstructed from memory of the plum compote in Georges Perrier's Le Bec-Fin Recipes (1997)
Ingredients
Pan sizes, times and temperatures in the method are not scaled.
Method
Make the vanilla syrup. Combine the sugar (100 g½ cup), the water (120 ml½ cup), and the seeds and pod of the vanilla bean in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and stir until the sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes.
Poach the plums. Add the plums (500 g), cut side down. Lower to a gentle simmer and poach until tender but still holding their shape, 8 to 15 minutes depending on ripeness. Test with the tip of a knife and take them out the moment they yield.
Reduce the syrup. Lift the plums out with a slotted spoon. Simmer the syrup until it thickens slightly and coats a spoon, about 5 minutes. Discard the pod.
Return the plums to the warm syrup. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- This is a compote, not jam. The plums should stay whole in a clear vanilla syrup. Firmer plums hold their shape; very ripe ones slump, so check early.
- Keeps several days refrigerated, and the flavor deepens overnight.
- As an ice cream ribbon, as in Crème Anglaise Ice Cream with Plum Ribbon, change three things or it turns icy and bleeds: leave out the water, or use only a splash; reduce it much harder, to a thick, glossy, mounding consistency; and raise the sugar to 130 to 140 g so it stays soft in the freezer.