Annual Food & Drink Issue

Recipe for Fresh Cherry Compote

Sensational Sauce Recipes to Elevate Your Meal

Delectable dishes aren’t hard to come by in the Scenic City. But sometimes, even when the food is cooked to perfection, the real secret is in the sauce. Next time you’re looking to elevate a meal, try one of these tasty toppings that is sure to steal the show.

By Christina Cannon

Photography by Rich Smith

Canyon Grill

Cherry Compote

Ingredients

3 cups black cherries, pitted

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 Tbsp. rosemary, chopped

1/2 Tbsp. thyme, chopped

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 small shallot, thinly sliced

3 Tbsp. lemon juice

3 Tbsp. sherry

Directions

Chop cherries into 1/4-inch squares. In a sauce pot, heat cherries and brown sugar on low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Once the sugar is dissolved, add in rosemary, thyme, cayenne pepper, and shallots. Cook on low heat, occasionally stirring, until the shallots start to become translucent. Pour in lemon juice and sherry, and then cook for about 5 minutes – long enough for the alcohol to cook out or until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Alexis West headshot

“The cherry compote is a versatile sauce that pairs well with duck, pork, and chicken. The sweet, warm sauce has a nice cayenne ‘tingly tongue’ finish that makes me think of fall.” – Alexis West, Chef

Cherry Compote

Canyon Grill

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Course Sauce

Equipment

Sauce pot

Ingredients

3 cups black cherries, pitted
½ cup brown sugar
½ tbsp rosemary, chopped
½ tbsp thyme, chopped
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
3 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp sherry

Instructions

Chop cherries into 1/4-inch squares. In a sauce pot, heat cherries and brown sugar on low heat until the sugar is dissolved.
Once the sugar is dissolved, add in rosemary, thyme, cayenne pepper, and shallots. Cook on low heat, occasionally stirring, until the shallots start to become translucent.
Pour in lemon juice and sherry, and then cook for about 5 minutes – long enough for the alcohol to cook out or until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Notes

“The cherry compote is a versatile sauce that pairs well with duck, pork, and chicken. The sweet, warm sauce has a nice cayenne ‘tingly tongue’ finish that makes me think of fall.” – Alexis West, Chef

Keyword canyon grill, cherry, cherry compote, cherry sauce, compote, fruit compote, sauce recipe