I started making this chutney to serve alongside cured meats like salami and prosciutto. In the middle of winter I often find inspiration in The Old World Kitchen cookbook when odd (or old) ingredients are abundant: pork fat, turnips, or in this case storage apples and pears. Named for the twelfth century, this compote uses only ingredients that were available during that era in Europe, with black pepper and cinnamon being chief among them.

Poudre douce means “sweet powder” and is a blend of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. With the addition of Tellicherry black and cubeb peppers, it becomes strong powder, or poudre fort.