Of all of the summer season fruits, it’s the plums on which I gorge. I can not get sufficient of their crimson and gold pores and skin and candy, giving flesh. Their juice, sticky as honey, is the perfect of all to have working down your chin (save, maybe, for the peerlessly ripe greengage, which is a fleeting deal with and a nightmare to trace down, even for a plum fiend akin to myself).
The fruits do find yourself within the kitchen, too, because the luscious base for a sugar-crusted pie, the filling for puff-pastry turnovers and the center layer of a trifle, held between sponge and vanilla custard.
Plums additionally make a effective chutney. They introduce sweetness to stability the onions and vinegar, soften the sting of the chillies, lending a silky texture to the protect. I made plum chutney this week, sizzling with chillies and flecked with raisins and yellow mustard seeds. I added a couple of apricots to the pot, introducing a good deeper fruity word (I’ve the chutney in thoughts as an accompaniment to a truckle of cheddar).
However there may be extra and that is the protect that shall be scooped up by jagged shards of a damaged poppadom, stirred into steamed rice and slathered into the layers of a ham sandwich. In different phrases, a workhorse of a condiment, lending its fruity warmth to all method of events.
There have been a few plum puddings on the desk already: a plum idiot utilizing stewed Victorias and custard, in addition to cream and an impromptu dessert with cake crumbs and ice-cream. Each had been made with a stew of plums and spice that contained star anise and chopped preserved ginger. I do know of no spice that’s so comfy within the firm of a plum, whether or not within the type of floor ginger in a plum cake or as the nice and cozy and translucent addition of preserved ginger. The syrup from the jar is a helpful ingredient to have round, too, to trickle over vanilla ice-cream or to stir right into a jug of cream.
Plum and apricot chutney
The character of a chutney can change over time. I just like the recent warmth of a newly made batch however, over a couple of weeks, the recent and spiciest notes will mellow just a little to supply a extra rounded chutney. I sterilise the jars by washing them totally, then pouring boiling water into them from the kettle. I depart it to chill, then pour it away and dry the jars with a clear tea towel. They’re then able to fill. Makes 3 x 250g jam jars. Prepared in 2 hours.
plums 450g
apricots 350g
onions 350g
raisins 125g
gentle muscovado sugar 250g
crushed dried chillies 1 tsp
salt 1 tsp
yellow mustard seeds 2 tsp
cider vinegar 150ml
malt vinegar 150ml
cinnamon stick 1
Minimize the plums and apricots in half and take away the stones. Put the fruit in a chrome steel or enamelled saucepan. Peel and roughly chop the onions and add them to the fruit.
Stir within the raisins, muscovado sugar, crushed dried chillies, salt and yellow mustard seeds. Place the pan over a reasonable warmth, add the vinegars and cinnamon stick and convey to the boil.
Because the combination boils, decrease the warmth to a delicate simmer, then partially cowl with a lid and depart to simmer for an hour or so, giving the occasional stir to cease the chutney sticking.
When all is mushy, take away the cinnamon stick and spoon into sterilised jars and seal. The chutney will maintain in a cool place for a number of weeks, though I do maintain mine within the fridge.
Plums with ginger crumbs and ice-cream
Layers of gorgeousness right here, with softly stewed plums gently spiced with star anise and cloves, delicate ginger crumbs and chilly vanilla ice-cream. You would make your personal ginger cake, in fact, however you don’t must: a shop-bought ginger cake is sweet right here, too. Serves 4. Prepared in 40 minutes
For the plum layer:
plums 12, medium sized
caster sugar 80g
water 250ml
star anise 2 complete flowers
cloves 4
preserved ginger 3 lumps, in syrup
syrup from the ginger jar 4 tbsp
To complete:
ginger cake 250g (the darkest yow will discover)
vanilla ice-cream 250ml (4 free scoops)
Additionally, you will want 4 glasses or small jam jars
Wipe the plums, then halve them from stalk to tip. Pull out the stones and put the fruit in a chrome steel or enamelled saucepan. Sprinkle with the sugar, then pour over the water. Drop in the entire star anise flowers and the cloves and convey to the boil. Because the combination begins to bubble, decrease the warmth to a low simmer. Finely cube the ginger and stir into the plums, along with the ginger syrup, then put aside.
Crumble the ginger cake into giant crumbs (it’s in all probability finest to do that by hand, so that you don’t course of them too finely), then divide them between 4 glasses, jars or bowls. Spoon the fruit over the crumbs along with among the cooking syrup, then place a ball of ice-cream on every.
Stewed plums on brioche
Toast 2 thick slices of brioche and, whereas nonetheless sizzling, spoon over among the juice from the stewed plums, above. Let the juice soak into the toast. Prepare a couple of of the stewed plums on prime of the toast, then flash below a sizzling grill for 4 or 5 minutes till the plums have simply began to caramelise. Watch rigorously, in order that the brioche doesn’t burn, then slide on to plates and serve with thick yoghurt, labneh or buttermilk.
Comply with Nigel on Instagram @NigelSlater
