Chinese Plum Sauce
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 1 3/4 cups
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 3.5 servings
- Calories
- 110
- Total Fat
- 1
- Saturated Fat
- 0
- Carbohydrates
- 25
- Dietary Fiber
- 3
- Sugar
- 17
- Protein
- 2
- Cholesterol
- 0
- Sodium
- 392
- Total: 2 hr 35 min (includes cooling time)
- Active: 15 min
Ingredients
1 pound fresh plums, preferably red plums for color, pitted and chopped (about 4 cups)
2 sticks brown slab sugar or 1/2 cup light brown sugar (see Cook's Note)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
2 coins ginger, about 1/2 inch thick
1 dried chile pepper, such as chile de árbol or dried Thai chile, optional
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
- Place the plums, sugar, apple cider vinegar, unseasoned rice vinegar, soy sauce, Chinese five-spice powder, ginger coins, chile and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer until the plums are soft, about 20 minutes.
- Allow the mixture to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a blender, filling halfway. Put the lid on, leaving one corner open. Cover the lid with a kitchen towel to catch splatters, and pulse until smooth. Alternatively, use an immersion blender until smooth.
- Transfer the blended plum mixture back to the same pot and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thick and you can see the bottom of the pot when you run a rubber spatula across the bottom, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a medium bowl or plate to cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
- The sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Cook’s Note
Brown slab sugar has a light caramel flavor that tastes purer than light brown sugar, but you can use either in this recipe. Look for slab sugar at Asian markets or online.