Fast Ed Halmagyi makes perfect baked plums
AS AUTUM makes its chilly entrance, plums are in season. Fast Ed shows how to make incredible balsamic baked plums with whipped cream.
Mosman
Don't miss out on the headlines from Mosman. Followed categories will be added to My News.
MORNING runners are your best barometer for when autumn really starts.
You see, we head out into the gloom before the sun emerges over the horizon, making our way along deserted streets lit only by the yellow glow of the occasional street-light. For the last five months, even at this barest of hours, heady humidity hung paunch-like, weighting us down.
But then that first crisp morning arrives, blessed relief as the earth’s unwavering orbit sweeps us towards the seasonal cool.
It really is my favourite time of the year – cool mornings, warm days.
But for cooks and lovers of fruit, autumn is something of a challenge. The tropical flavours on which we gorge over summer retreat into the past, as mangoes, berries and figs return to scarcity and expense.
And there’s only so many apples and pears about which one can get truly excited.
Yet alongside the tree fruits, in the space left by waning peaches and nectarines are the plums. In shades of red, burgundy, charcoal and yellow, they are delicate little orbs of sweetness, and one of the ingredients about which I am most passionate.
Because plums do something that escapes most other fruits – they achieve that idealised balance of sweetness and acidity. The first bite is rich and perfumed, especially if your plum has been ripened to suppleness.
Thereafter comes the tang, as you pucker and chew. Finally, along the pit, there is a tannic astringency that cleans the mouth ready for the next plum. And the plum after that, and the plum after that.
Gorging is a strong word, but one that might well be appropriate to describe my relationship with plums. But it’s OK, like I always say, have another mouthful, and run an extra kilometre. And at this time of the year, it’s a win both ways!
Ingredients (serves 4)
12 ripe plums
¼ cup icing sugar
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp vanilla paste
½ bunch thyme leaves, picked
Whipped cream, to serve
Method
Preheat oven to 180C. Use a sharp knife to cut the cheeks off the plums, reserving the centres for another use. Arrange on a baking tray.
Combine the icing sugar, vinegar and vanilla in a bowl, mix well, then drizzle over the plums. Scatter with thyme, then bake for 20-25 minutes, until the plums are just softened. Cool, then serve with whipped cream.
MAKE YOUR OWN NUTELLA
