Poached Plums in Red Wine

This recipe is so versatile, it can be used as the base for so many other things. I like them on their own warm with custard or cream for pudding, but you can also use them cold as a breakfast dish with yogurt, or as the base of an ice lolly (post coming soon), or to accompany meat (I like it with rack of lamb). You can also use it as a part of a larger pudding, in a tart or crumble. If you don’t have the spices I use here use what you have, its also great with cloves and vanilla. Serve these plums on top of poundcake, drizzle with reduced sauce and serve with whipped cream.

1 lb blue, red or yellow plums
2 cups red wine
1 cup water
½ cup granulated sugar
1 orange
1 vanilla bean
2 sticks cinnamon
2-4 star anise
10 black peppercorns
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature

Halve the plums and remove the pits. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zest off of the orange in wide strips. Split the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds.

In a medium pot with a lid, combine the wine, water, sugar, orange zest and juice, vanilla bean seeds and pod, cinnamon sticks, star anise, peppercorns and salt. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Add plums and more water if necessary to cover. Simmer until plums are tender and skins are just beginning to peel off, 20-25 minutes.

Remove plums from poaching liquid and continue to reduce sauce without the lid, until it is thick and syrupy. Strain out spices and whisk in softened butter.