I had a craving for a piquant plum sauce on my pork belly. I had never made a plum sauce before so I started Googling around for a few ideas. Some recipes suggested using fresh plums, while plenty of others advised plum jam. I took myself to Asda in search of either and found neither. But I did find tinned prunes in grape juice. I couldn’t remember the last time I was involved with prunes – possibly when my grandmother was still alive – but I grabbed the tin and home I went, confident that I had the makings of a plum sauce in the cupboard.
This plum sauce was entirely experimental but somehow I pulled it off. It was served over oven-baked pork belly which sat atop a bed of rice. I wilted some spinach in a metal colander over the rice and accompanied the whole she-bang with creamy garlic mushrooms – click here for the particular recipe.
Tonight I plan to use last weekend’s newly acquired plum sauce skills to invent a Chinese-inspired plum sauce for some stir-fry beef and vegetables – we’re watching the England-Ukraine match tonight so we need bowl food that can be easily eaten in front of the telly. Wish me luck and wish the lads luck in Rome too! COME ON, ENGLAND!