What’s cooking today: Plums poached in hanepoot

Fruits and other fruits just go together, and they can take spices. This dessert can be put together in hardly any time at all, and all it needs to finish it off is a dollop of whipped cream.

I used star anise and cassia bark, but you can use a cinnamon stick instead if you prefer.

Ingredients

(To serve 4)

8 ripe plums

Equal quantities of hanepoot soeters and dry white wine, enough to cover the plums

2 Tbsp soft brown or caramel sugar

3 star anise

3 or 4 pieces of cassia bark or 1 cinnamon stick

2 curls of dried orange or naartjie peel

Method

Cut a cross at the top end of each plum, to allow the liquor to penetrate the fruit’s flesh while the plums poach. Put them in a smallish heavy pot, side by side.

Pour over equal quantities of hanepoot soeters and dry white wine and add the sugar, dried peel and hard spices.

Bring to a simmer over a moderate heat. When it is just beginning to boil, cover the pot and turn the heat down low. Leave it to simmer slowly for about 40 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it cool to room temperature. Check that it’s not boiling too vigorously; it’s a gentle bubble you want.

Serve with freshly whipped cream. Remove the hard spices if you like but I think they look quite attractive in the bowls, and people aren’t so doff as to try to eat them. They also continue to flavour the liquor while it stands to cool. DM/TGIFood

Tony Jackman is Galliova Food Champion 2021. His book, foodSTUFF, is available in the DM Shop. Buy it here. 

Follow Tony Jackman on Instagram @tony_jackman_cooks. Share your versions of his recipes with him on Instagram and he’ll see them and respond.

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