Make Ahead

Spicy sweet and sour plum sauce

by:
August  4, 2010
3.7
3 Ratings
  • Serves 4-6
Author Notes

I had a slew of pluots and plums, just the middles of plums with their pits in tact. Saving time on other recipes, I had cut the plums just shy of the stone, so I would get 2 quick near halves. So after getting quite the collection of these plum middles with their pits still with them from all the plum cakes and bread puddings I have been making this week, I started cooking these down, and depitting them. From this mix of plums, mostly sweet dark pluots and golden cherry plums, I envisioned a sweet and sour sauce that would accompany sliced chicken, turkey, duck, lamb. Of course it would be great with cornbread, bread pudding, ice cream, cheesecake, or custard as well. It would be very easy to puree this if you prefer a more refined sauce... but I do like the rustic character with all the fleshy fruits still floating in the sauce. You could can this in larger quantities. I am giving the recipe for a small batch which will yield less than 2 cups. Even though this is a sweet and sour sauce intended for meat, it truly is just as amazing as a great topping warm for vanilla ice cream. Because it was hot and humid when I made this, I illustrated this sauce over ice cream . Hope you will look at my photos showing the whole process. —Sagegreen

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
  • 1 teaspoon fresh grated lemon
  • 1 tablespoon ground sumac or substitute 1 tsp saffron for a different flavor
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • sprig of rosemary
  • 1 large black pluot or plum or other type (@1/2-1 cup) of sweet plum
  • 25 cherry plums, or other sweet plums (@ 1 1/2cups)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons honey (acacia or other type)
  • 2 tablespoons red basalmic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • sprig of lavender or rosemary for garnish
Directions
  1. Heat a heavy Dutch oven style of pan.
  2. Add the spices, the first five ingredients, to the heated pan for 10 seconds before adding next the pitted plums
  3. Next add the brown sugar to the plums in the pan and stir.
  4. Add the maple syrup and honey while stirring. Bring the mix to a slow boil.
  5. Add the vinegar, mustard, wine and lemon juice. Continue to reduce and stir often.
  6. Simmer the mix until the plums are thoroughly cooked and you have achieved your desired sauce thickness. Remove any troublesome skins, if there are any.If you would like to puree the mix for a more refined sauce, feel free. Otherwise serve while warm or cool with the fruit flesh.
  7. Serve with either poultry, meat, or desserts, such as ice cream, plain cheesecake, or pudding, with a fresh garnish of rosemary or lavender.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • TheWimpyVegetarian
    TheWimpyVegetarian
  • lapadia
    lapadia
  • AntoniaJames
    AntoniaJames
  • Sagegreen
    Sagegreen

6 Reviews

TheWimpyVegetarian August 26, 2010
This looks so wonderful. I've not had much time for cooking or going on this website as much the last couple weeks but am definitely making this one. YUM!!
 
Sagegreen August 26, 2010
Thanks! I know the feeling....I am entering my busy time with work!
 
lapadia August 26, 2010
I second that.....Yummm! Love that the recipe is for a small batch. Great picture too!
 
Sagegreen August 26, 2010
Thank you!
 
AntoniaJames August 4, 2010
Yummm! Great way to use all those flavorful little bits. ;o)
 
Sagegreen August 4, 2010
Thank you! It will probably be even spicer tomorrow.