Strained Whole Milk Yogurt with Cherry-Blueberry Compote

Steps

1. Wash a heavy pot, whisk, thermometer, lidded container, fine strainer and cheesecloth with hot soapy water, then rinse with boiling water to sanitize. Set the plain yogurt with live active cultures out to come to room temperature.
2. Heat: pour the commercially pasteurized whole milk into the pot and heat over medium, stirring often, to 180°F (82°C). Hold between 180°F and 185°F (82–85°C) for 10–20 minutes, stirring gently to prevent scorching.
3. Cool: take the pot off the heat and cool the milk to 108–112°F (42–44°C), setting the pot in a sink of cold water to speed this up. Check with the thermometer.
4. Add starter: once the milk is at 108–112°F (42–44°C), whisk the plain yogurt in a small bowl with a ladle of the warm milk until smooth, then stir this mixture back into the pot.
5. Incubate: pour into the sanitized container, cover, and keep at 108–112°F (42–44°C) for 6–8 hours, in a yogurt maker or an oven with only the light on, until set and tangy.
6. Refrigerate: immediately chill the yogurt at 40°F (4°C) or below until cold, about 3 hours.
7. Strain: line the strainer with a double layer of cheesecloth over a bowl, spoon in the chilled yogurt, cover and strain in the refrigerator for 3–4 hours, until thick.
8. Make the compote while the yogurt strains: rinse the pot, add the cherries, frozen blueberries, maple syrup and cardamom, and simmer over medium for 8 minutes, until the fruit bursts.
9. Stir the cornstarch into the orange juice until smooth, add to the fruit and simmer 1–2 minutes until glossy and thickened. Off the heat, stir in the vanilla, then chill the compote in the refrigerator.
10. Divide the strained yogurt among 4 bowls, about 150 g each, and top each with a quarter of the cherry-blueberry compote. Keep leftovers refrigerated.