For much of the Northern Hemisphere, late summer is plum harvest. This is very simple recipe that uses up the later summer abundance. In fact, you don't even need to peel the plums for this sauce. This recipe is based on a recipe by Curious Cuisiniere. I adapted the recipe and made it not only free of refined sugars and soy, but it's loaded it with even more ginger and star anise. This is a great sauce for a number of dishes, you can use it as a BBQ sauce to baste ribs and chicken on the grill, or with a vegetarian protein such as tofu. It also makes a great dipping sauce for spring rolls such as my Vietnamese Smoked Salmon Summer Rolls. It plays well with spicy rubs and smokey flavors providing the sweetness tangy contrast.
Combine the plums with the remainder of the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring the ingredients to a boil over medium high heat.
Turn down the heat to medium low and simmer uncovered until the plums have broken down and are very soft, about 20-25 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and remove the star anise. Purée the mixture with with an immersion hand blender or allow it to cool slightly and use a blender. Purée until smooth.
Return the mixture to medium high heat and allow it to come to a quick boil then reduce the heat to medium low and allow it to simmer. Stir frequently to prevent sticking. The sauce will get thicker and more like a sticky jam. This will take about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow it to cool. It will keep in the refrigerator for about 10 days otherwise you can just freeze it in glass jars. It will keep in the freezer for about 5 months. Just make sure you leave about 1-2 inches(2.5-5cm) at the top of the jar
Ingredients
Directions
Combine the plums with the remainder of the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring the ingredients to a boil over medium high heat.
Turn down the heat to medium low and simmer uncovered until the plums have broken down and are very soft, about 20-25 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and remove the star anise. Purée the mixture with with an immersion hand blender or allow it to cool slightly and use a blender. Purée until smooth.
Return the mixture to medium high heat and allow it to come to a quick boil then reduce the heat to medium low and allow it to simmer. Stir frequently to prevent sticking. The sauce will get thicker and more like a sticky jam. This will take about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow it to cool. It will keep in the refrigerator for about 10 days otherwise you can just freeze it in glass jars. It will keep in the freezer for about 5 months. Just make sure you leave about 1-2 inches(2.5-5cm) at the top of the jar