Guest Chef Amy Chaplin’s fruit compote recipes

These fruit compotes will transform plain porridge into a sublime breakfast. Or for a quick snack, simply fold into thick yoghurt.

Cafe style: stonefruit compote with natural yoghurt.

Fruit compotes can transform plain porridge into a sublime breakfast or, when folded into thick yoghurt, make an instant dessert or healthy snack.

Stone fruit compote

680g ripe peaches, plums, apricots or cherries

½ cup (120ml) freshly squeezed orange juice or filtered water

Tiny pinch of fine sea salt

1 teaspoon arrowroot powder*

2 teaspoons filtered water

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Remove pits from fruit; if using peaches, plums or apricots, halve them first. Cut each half into 1.5cm wedges; slice in half crosswise. Put fruit in medium pot, add juice and salt; bring to simmer over high heat. Cover pot, reduce heat to low and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until fruit is soft. Dissolve arrowroot in cup; drizzle into pot, stirring. Once compote has thickened, remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store cooled compote in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 5 days. Makes about 2½ cups

*If using plums, omit arrowroot

Apricot fennel compote

1 quantity Stone Fruit Compote, using about 16 medium apricots

1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds, plus more to taste

Make the compote following the base recipe, adding fennel to the pot along with apricots and juice.

Spiced plum ginger compote. Picture: Anson Smart

Spiced plum ginger compote

1 quantity Stone Fruit Compote, using about 8 medium plums and omitting the arrowroot

2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger or ½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

Make compote following the base recipe, adding ginger, cinnamon and cardamom along with the plums.

Autumn fruit compote

Amy Chaplin.

680g apples, pears or quinces

½ cup (120ml) filtered water

Pinch of fine sea salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peel, quarter and core fruit. Cut apples into 1.5cm slices, pears into 2cm dice, quinces into 5mm slices. Put fruit in medium pot, add water, salt and vanilla; bring to a boil over high heat. Cover pot, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring halfway, until fruit is cooked through. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store cooled compote in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 5 days. Makes about 2½ cups

Amy Chaplin is an Australian-born, New York-based chef, cookbook author and teacher. Edited extract from her book Whole Food Cooking Every Day (Artisan Books, $59.99). Photography: Anson Smart