Recipe by Daniel Myers
This fruit compote can be served on its own or as a very nice sauce for meat. A little powdered ginger can be addded with the cinnamon, and for some extra zing add candied ginger before serving.
Put wine, water, sugar, and cinnamon into a pan and warm. Peel and core fruit, slice into small, thin pieces, and add to wine. Add dates, sandalwood, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until fruit is tender. Serve cold.
Source [Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books, T. Austin (ed.)]: Perys en Composte. Take Wyne an Canel, & a gret dele of Whyte Sugre, an set it on the fyre & hete it hote, but let it nowt boyle, an draw it thorwe a straynoure; than take fayre Datys, an pyke owt the stonys, an leche hem alle thinne, an caste ther-to; thanne take Wardonys, an pare hem and sethe hem, an leche hem alle thinne, & caste ther-to in-to the Syryppe: thanne take a lytil Sawnderys, and caste ther-to, an sette it on the fyre; an if thow hast charde quynce, caste ther-to in the boyling, an loke that it stonde wyl with Sugre, an wyl lyid wyth Canel, an caste Salt ther-to, an let it boyle; an than caste yt on a treen vessel, & lat it kele, & serue forth.
Source [Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books, T. Austin (ed.)]: Peris in compost. Take Wyne, canell, And a grete dele of white Sugur, And sette hit ouer the fire, And hete hit but a litull, and not boyle; And drawe hit thorg a streynour; And then take faire dates, and y-take oute the stones, and leche hem in faire gobettes al thyn, and cast there-to; And then take pere Wardones, and pare hem, And seth hem, And leche hem in faire gobettes, and pike oute the core, and cast hem to the Syryppe; And take a litull Saundres, and caste there-to in the boylyng, And loke that hit stonde well, with Gynger, Sugur, And well aley hit with canell, and cast salt thereto, and lete boyle; And then caste it oute in a treyn vesse ll, And lete kele; And then pare clene rasinges of ginger, & temper hem ij. or iij. daies, in wyne, And after, ley hem in clarefied hony colde, all a day or a nigt; And then take the rasons oute of the hony, And caste hem to the peres in composte; And then serue hit forth with sirippe, all colde, And nougt hote.
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