Image is for illustrative purposes only.
This is a thick, glossy red currant compote, cooked with a little lemon and set with modified starch so it holds its shape instead of running. The flavour is sharp and clean, the colour a deep ruby red, and the texture spoonable rather than syrupy.
Because it stays put once cold, it is ideal as a fruit layer inside a mousse cake or torte, spread between sponge layers, piped into tart shells, or spooned over a cheesecake. The tartness of the currants balances sweet creams and white chocolate fillings very well.
Ingredients
The weights in the recipe table below will yield the following 'weight per unit' and 'number of units'. If you would like to change the recipe to cater to a different 'weight per unit' and/or 'number of units',
you can use the Recipe Calculator Tool below the ingredients table.
Note: The Recipe Calculator Tool is available to subscribers.
Weight Per Unit: 1320
Number of Units: 1
Unit Size: batch of about 1.3 kg, enough for the fruit layers in two or three home-sized cakes
|
|
|
WEIGHT
(grams)
|
ALTERNATIVE METRIC
|
INGREDIENT
|
IMAGE
|
CONDITION
|
|
A
|
500 |
2.1 cups
|
Water
|
|
cold |
|
B
|
10 |
0.4 ounce
|
Lemon Zest
Lemon zest is the thin, brightly coloured outer layer of the lemon skin, removed with a fine grater or zester without taking the bitter white pith underneath. It holds the fruit's aromatic oils and gives a fresh citrus lift to batters and creams.
fresh
|
|
finely grated |
|
C
|
30 |
1 fluid ounce
|
Fresh Lemon Juice
Fresh lemon juice is the juice squeezed from whole lemons and strained of seeds and pulp. It gives a natural sharpness and aroma that bottled juice cannot match, and roughly three medium lemons will yield the amount needed here.
|
|
strained |
|
D
|
600 |
21.1 ounces
|
Frozen Red Currants
Red currants are small, translucent red berries with a sharp, clean acidity and a light berry perfume. They are usually sold frozen on or off the stalk, and frozen fruit works perfectly well in cooked glazes and sauces because the berries break down as they heat.
|
|
frozen |
|
E
|
90 |
3.2 ounces
|
Modified Starch
Modified starch is a corn or tapioca starch that has been treated so it thickens smoothly and stays stable when acid, sugar and freezing are involved. In a glaze it gives body and shine without becoming cloudy or watery; plain corn starch can be used instead, though the set will be a little softer.
|
|
|
|
F
|
90 |
3.2 ounces
|
Sugar
Sugar is the generalized name for sweet, short-chain, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. They are carbohydrates, composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. There are various types of sugar derived from different sources. Simple sugars are called monosaccharides and include glucose (also known as dextrose), fructose and galactose. The table or granulated sugar most customarily used as food is sucrose, a disaccharide. (In the body, sucrose hydrolyses into fructose and glucose.) Other disaccharides include maltose and lactose. Longer chains of sugars are called oligosaccharides. Chemically-different substances may also have a sweet taste, but are not classified as sugars. Some are used as lower-calorie food substitutes for sugar described as artificial sweeteners.
caster
|
|
|
|
|
1320
|
|
|
|
|
Recipe Calculator Tool
Using this tool, you can alter this recipe for your own requirements. Use the two fields below to generate new weights for the ingredients above.
STEP 1. Enter your Custom Weight Per Unit
The 'Custom Weight Per Unit' is already loaded with the weight per unit for this recipe but can be changed if required. If all you wish to do is change the number of units (or servings), just leave the current weight per unit.
STEP 2. Enter your Custom Number of Units
This is the number of units (or servings) you want this recipe to yield.
STEP 3. Click Calculate
The new weights for your adjusted recipe will be displayed in the table above.
Method
|
STEP
|
ACTION
|
DETAIL
|
CONDITION
|
|
1 |
Prepare |
Whisk E and F (modified starch and caster sugar) together in a bowl so the starch is coated in sugar, then stir in about a third of A (water) to make a smooth slurry. |
No lumps of starch left |
|
2 |
Heat |
Put the remaining A (water) into a saucepan with B, C and D (lemon zest, lemon juice and frozen red currants) and bring slowly to a simmer over medium heat, stirring gently. |
Currants thawed and starting to burst, juices deep red |
|
3 |
Thicken |
Stir the starch slurry once more and pour it into the simmering fruit while whisking. Keep stirring and let it come back to the boil. |
Mixture turns glossy and thick and coats the back of a spoon |
|
4 |
Cook |
Cook for a further 1–2 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly so it does not catch on the base of the pan. |
No raw starch taste, compote holds a soft mound on the spoon |
|
5 |
Cool |
Pour the compote into a shallow tray or container, spread it out and press cling film onto the surface. |
Completely cold and set before it is used or piped |
Important Notes
This batch makes about 1.3 kg of thick compote. It sets firmer as it cools, so judge the consistency when it is cold, not hot. If it is too stiff once cold, loosen it with a little cold water or lemon juice and stir smooth. Keep it covered in the fridge and use within about a week, or freeze it in portions. The original bakery sheet also lists a little red colour with no quantity; the compote is a strong red on its own, so add a drop only if you want a deeper colour.
Tools & Arrangements
Medium saucepan, whisk, fine grater or zester, mixing bowl, kitchen scales, rubber spatula, shallow tray or container and cling film.
