Winter Plum Recipes

Winter is the perfect time to enjoy delicious South African plums at their seasonal best.

And luckily, South African chef, Reuben Riffel has come up with these delcious recipes for you to try at home.

Duck, butternut squash and caramalized South African plum salad (pictured above)

Serves 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
½ small butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into small wedges
2 tbsp Japanese sweet rice wine (Mirin)
1 tbsp olive oil
For the caramelized plums:
65g Demerara sugar
60ml red wine vinegar
6 South African plums, halved and pitted
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 skinless duck breasts, sliced into thin strips
1 bunch of watercress
50g walnuts, roasted
4 tsp walnut oil

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 220 ºC, fan 200 ºC, gas mark 7. Combine the butternut squash wedges with the sweet rice wine and olive oil on an oven tray, toss to coat, roast for 20 minutes turning once, until golden and cooked through
2. Meanwhile, for the caramelized plums, place the sugar in a saucepan over a high heat and cook for 1-2 minutes until light caramel starts to form. Add the red wine vinegar (be careful as it will sizzle up) and cook gently to dissolve the caramel. Add the plums and cook for 1-2 minutes until the plums soften. Cool
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok and stir fry the duck for 2-3 minutes
4. Arrange the watercress, butternut squash and duck on plates, spoon over the caramelized plums, add the walnuts and drizzle with walnut oil to serve

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South African plum and cherry fruit mince tart

Serves 8-10


Preparation time: 40 minutes (plus chilling)
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Pastry:
100g icing sugar
90g unsalted butter
½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 eggs
300g plain flour
50g ground almonds

Filling:
300g dried cherries
165g chopped South African plums
125g currants
200ml water
50g butter, chopped
1 egg
60g brown sugar
1 vanilla bean, scraped, seeds only
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp each mixed spice, ground cloves, ground cinnamon
50g plain flour

Method:
1. For the pastry, beat the sugar, butter and cinnamon in an electric mixer (2-3 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, beat well to combine. Sift in flour, fold in the ground almonds, add a pinch of sea salt, turn onto a lightly floured work surface and knead lightly until smooth. Wrap pastry in cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes
2. Roll 1/3 of the pastry on a lightly floured work surface to 2mm thick, refrigerate on a baking tray and set aside
3. Roll remaining to line a 28cm x 20cm (11 x 8 inch) baking tin and place tin on an oven tray. Refrigerate for 20 minutes
4. Preheat oven to 160ºC, fan 140ºC, gas mark 3. Combine fruit and water in a saucepan, stir over medium heat until all the liquid is absorbed. Cool
5. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat then cool. Whisk egg, sugar, vanilla seeds and spices until thick and pale. Fold in the melted butter and flour, fold in the fruit, spoon into baking tin, and decorate the top with the remaining pastry in a lattice pattern. Bake until firm (18-20 minutes)

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South African plum, star anise and Shiraz relish

Serves 6


Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:
250ml Shiraz red wine
110g brown sugar
125ml red wine vinegar
½ red onion, thinly sliced
2 star anise
12 South African plums, quartered and pitted

Method:
1. Combine all ingredients, except the plums, in
a saucepan and season with sea salt and
freshly ground black pepper. Bring to the boil
over high heat and cook for 5 minutes or until
reduced by half
2. Add the plums and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes or until liquid is reduced and plums are soft. Pot in sterilized jars (relish will keep, refrigerated, for 2 weeks)
3. Serve with aged hard cheeses