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Roasted Plums with Orange and Star Anise
recipe
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Chicago
Roasted Plums with Orange and Star Anise
Martin Sorge
Martin Sorge
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$1.00
A great recipe using a tragically underrated spice for sweet things: Star Anise. Its warm, licorice-y flavor can be controversial, but it pairs perfectly with the subtle earthy, sweet notes of plums and sunny tones from orange. This dish is crave-worthy in its complexity and simplicity. I prefer to make this with dark purple oblong plums, Zwetschgen, as the German-speakers would say. My favorite variety around here is Stanley. They're at the markets and groceries right now, so don't wait. They don purply-blue skins over green-yellow flesh. The pits pop right out.
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You Need

4-6 servings
1:00
  • About 500 g of plums, Stanley or other oblong purple-skinned varieties
  • 1 orange
  • A glug of white wine or a splash of plum brandy (optional)
  • 6 to 8 seconds of honey (about 3-4 Tablespoons)
  • A pinch of fine sea salt
  • 2 whole star anise

    • How To

    1. Heat the oven to 400F. Halve the plums and remove the pits, then slice each half in half. Toss them in a ceramic baking dish.
    2. Using a peeler, peel off 4 large strips of orange zest and toss them into the baking dish. Squeeze the juice of the orange into the dish, followed by a quick glug of wine or plum brandy.
    3. Squeeze the honey over the plums for six seconds, sprinkle with salt, then toss in the star anise. Toss everything with your hands.
    4. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes; remove the foil and bake for another 20-30 minutes, until the liquid has reduced and the plums are tender but not totally disintegrated.
    5. Discard the star anise and let it cool mainly. Discard the orange peel before eating.
    6. As dessert, spoon over vanilla ice cream and a slice of pound cake. For breakfast, spoon it over your morning yogurt or oatmeal.
    7. Once cool, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.