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    Plum Sauce

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    *mandatory

    Plum Sauce

    Late varieties of plum can still be found in October – gather up great armfuls to make this rich and complex sauce. The recipe makes a fairly large quantity, but then it’s not just for duck pancakes – you’ll want to eat it with everything.

    • Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus cooling
    • Cooking time: 150 minutes
    • Total time: 2 hours 30 minutes, plus cooling 60 minutes 60 minutes 50 minutes

    Makes: 2.5 litres

    Ingredients

    • Duck pancakes (serves 4 as a starter)
    • ½ ready-cooked Chinese duck
    • 16 Chinese pancakes
    • 4 tbsp plum sauce
    • ½ cucumber, seeded and cut into matchsticks
    • 3 salad onions, trimmed and lengthways
    • 3 onions, finely chopped
    • 50g fresh root ginger, finely grated
    • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
    • 2 red chillies, finely chopped
    • 2.5kg plums, stoned and quartered
    • 1 litre white wine vinegar
    • 250g light soft brown sugar
    • 200ml light soy sauce
    • ½ cinnamon stick
    • 3 star anise

    Method

    1. The sauce Put the onions, ginger, garlic, chilli, plums, vinegar and 300ml water in a large pan. Simmer for 20 minutes, until soft. Sieve, in batches, pushing with a wooden spoon to extract all the pulp and liquid. Discard the contents of the sieve.
    2. Return the strained liquid to the pan with the sugar and soy sauce and bring back to the boil. Add the cinnamon and star anise. Simmer, uncovered, for about 11/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until thick. Remove the spices, pour into sterilised bottles, seal and cool.
    3. Store in a cool, dark place for up to 4 months. Once opened, keep refrigerated and use within 3 weeks.
    4. Duck pancakes Heat the oven to 200°C/gas 6. Put the duck in a foil-lined roasting tin; cook for 20 minutes until burnished and crisp. Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then shred or cut into bite-size pieces. Spread each pancake with a little plum sauce, then roll up with some duck – making sure each has some of the crisp skin – cucumber and salad onion.

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    Drinks recommendation

    A red with a little sweetness is ideal.

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    3 stars