It will take my a while to write up the recipe for this bad boy (it’s pretty involved) but give me a few days and it will be done. It has to be shared…
Wild plum liqueur
I am lucky to have many wonderful friends in my life, some food lovers, some not (it isn’t friendship criteria but if you don’t appreciate/ love good food I will probably try and convert you). However it must be said that my friend Holly is easily be one of the biggest food lovers I know. I love Holly time, we’ll chat about all sorts of stuff but there will always be some pretty geeky food chat going on. The last time I saw her she had a log of Norwegian butter in her bag, that she had brought me all the way back from Norway, and a bag of frozen wild plums from a foraging trip to Kent. The time before that she brought me a tray of homemade coconut ice cream with rippled tamarind caramel. Seriously… it’s like crack.
So, the Norwegian butter I have eaten simply on fresh bread and it is wonderful, but the plums, well there was only one thing for it. Pre-weighed into 400g batches and frozen (this girl doesn’t mess about), it had to be booze. I love flavouring alcohol, and always have a few bottles on the go at any given time. Sloe gin, bergamot gin, limoncello, kumquat brandy… It is easy to do, tasty as hell and they make great gifts (we made a load for our wedding favours). For some reason I have never used plums or damsons before so was excited to add a new bottle to our collection. Now the obvious pairing for these autumnal treats is gin, and by all means use that! However it is not a joke when they call gin ‘mothers ruin’ so for now I am staying clear. I used good quality organic vodka instead, I just have to wait another month till I can try it…
WILD PLUM LIQUEUR
- 400g wild plums or damsons, washed and frozen
- 125g golden caster sugar
- 750cl good quality vodka or gin
You will need a 1L kilner jar, as the plums won’t fit in a bottle.
This recipe could not be more simple. Just layer up the plums with the sugar in the large clean kilner jar and then pour over your chosen alcohol. Seal tightly and give it a shake.
Store the jar in a dark spot, away from sunlight, and give it a little shake every day for a week till the sugar dissolves. Leave the jar well alone for 2 – 3 months, only disturbing it to give it a little taste after a month to see if it needs more sugar. Check the sweetness, adding another spoonful or so of sugar if it still feels a little tart. Then seal back down, give it a shake and return to your dark spot.
You can strain it after a few months, but if you can wait a little longer I would leave it. The more patient you are the tastier the booze.
If you want to add a little extra flavour to your liqueur, try popping in a split vanilla pod, or a few bay leaves. You could also make it a spiced plum liqueur for christmas, just add a cinnamon stick, a few cloves, a couple of cardamom pods and a few peppercorns half way through steeping. You don’t want them to overpower the plum flavour, just add a lovely wintery warmth.
Finished booze shot to come…
Porridge with caramelised figs and orange blossom
For the first time this autumn I woke up the other day and really fancied porridge. I get super excited about porridge, which might sound a bit weird for something so… normal? But we didn’t really have it growing up, we were all about a slice of cake and a glass of milk (so continental). I clearly remember one of the first times I had it – I was quite old, about 16, and it was made by my friend Emma’s mum. It was thick and creamy and there was definitely a lot of butter in it, but damn it was good. You could just taste that it was naughty and I was instantly hooked.
Since then my palate has changed a bit, and one of the best bowls of porridge I have ever eaten was at The Breslin in NYC, which I know has no cream or butter but really tastes like it should. The recipe here is based on the deliciousness from the Breslin with a topping I made inspired by the stunning figs spilling out of my fruit bowl.
CREAMY PORRIDGE WITH CARAMELISED FIGS AND ORANGE BLOSSOM
Serves 2
Because this porridge takes a while to cook, I have tried making a double batch on a Sunday evening, cooling it down and keeping it in the fridge. I then just reheated as much as we needed with a little extra milk over the next few mornings. Works a treat.
- 50g rolled oats (not the quick cook ones)
- 30g steel cut oats
- 350ml full fat milk
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 figs, cut into wedges
- 1 heaped teaspoon coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- A tablespoon of unsweetened coconut shavings
- A splash of orange blossom water
Pour the milk into a medium sized non-stick pan with 350ml of water. Place on a high heat and as soon as it starts to come to the boil stir in both the oats and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for around 35 minutes, stirring regularly, until the steel cut oats are cooked through/ no longer have a bite.
About 5 minutes before the porridge is ready, caramelise the figs. Melt the coconut oil in a small non-stick pan over a medium heat and add the fig wedges. After 3 – 4 minutes, when the figs start to turn golden, drizzle in the honey and add the sesame seeds and coconut shavings. Add the orange blossom water and turn the heat up a little. Swirl everything together and caramelise for a couple of minutes, turning the figs to coat in the honey, until thick and sticky.
When the porridge is ready stir in the salt and divide between 2 bowls. Leave to ‘set’ for a minute and then spoon over the figs and honey.
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