Smoky Cherry and Shallot Compote

A summery cherry spread / dip / pudding by the way of a compote. Slow cooking the shallots until they are caramelized brings out the natural sugars, a wonderful compliment to the sweet cherries.

Best served warm, or room temperature, this pairs great with cheese, crackers, grilled sandwiches, and as a topping for firm fish, scallops or other meats (I suspect pork or steak would be great, if you're a carnivore).

There is so much room for variations in this recipe: no shallots? Use yellow onions! No yellow onions? Use white or red onions. Want to make is smokier? Add more pimientón. Less spicy? Dial back on the ground chipotle. Make it your own!!!

Ingredients:

3 cups of pitted cherries (see Note) 3 shallots, finely chopped 1/3 large yellow onion, finely chopped 1 tablespoon of ground chipotle powder 1 teaspoon of pimentón (smoked paprika) or paprika 4 sprigs of thyme (~1 tablespoon) a few glugs of extra virgin olive oil sherry vinegar salt

Pulse pitted-cherries in a food processor, until chopped, and holding some texture. Set aside.

Heat a glug of olive oil over medium heat (more if you’re using a cast iron pan), add shallots and onions. Cook over medium low heat, stirring frequently, for about 10-15 minutes until caramelized (look for a dark brown color). Add a splash of sherry vinegar to deglaze pan, making sure to scrape up the brown bits at the bottom of the pan.

Once absorbed, add pimentón and chipotle powder and cook stirring often for 1-2 minutes. Add cherries, thyme, season with salt, and continue cooking until fragrant, about 20 minutes more.

Makes roughly 2 cooked cups. Can be stored airtight in refrigerator for up to a week.

Pitting Cherries Note: if you don’t own a pitter (like myself), pitting cherries can be daunting. I came across this video with several options. I channeled my inner Dexter and went for the knife-smash method since the cherries were going to be pulsed. CAUTION - wear an apron as this will splash! Image below…