Plum BBQ sauce

Ingredients
10 whole allspice berries
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp whole coriander seeds
10 whole cloves
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 onions, peeled and chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1.8kg plums, pitted and roughly chopped
1/2 cup apple-cider vinegar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 Tbsp molasses, golden syrup or honey
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp dried chili flakes, or 2 fresh hot chili diced
1 Tbsp salt, or to taste
Optional
A generous splash of Worcestershire, fish or soy sauce
3Tbsp Chinese black vinegar

Method
In a large, heavy, nonreactive pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add onions and cook until golden and just beginning to brown. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for another minute or two.
Add plums and cook, stirring frequently, until fruit has collapsed and softened into a chunky puree. Add vinegar, sugar, molasses, mustard, hot peppers, and salt. Put whole spices in a cheesecloth/spice bag and drop into the plum mixture. Add about a tablespoon of Worcestershire or other sauce, if desired.
Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low, partially cover and cook, stirring often, until mixture is thick and smooth. Be careful not to let mixture scorch or stick to the pan. Taste for seasoning, adjusting with more vinegar, sugar, molasses, or salt as needed. Remove and discard spice bag.
Pour into clean glass jars. Let cool, then refrigerate.

Chook's note: add more chili if you like it hot. These sorts of recipes are very forgiving so knock yourself out adding other aromatics or tweaking quantities. It's all about personal taste.
I made half quantity and ended up with 2 bottles of sauce (I sterilised the bottles in the dishwasher -so much easier).
I have still to try out a couple of other BBQ sauce recipes.  Watch this space!

Thank you Bay Area Bites for the idea.

Chinese five spice plum sauce

Pix from my favourite food site - taste.com.au

Ingredients
1kg any kind of plums, stoned and halved
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Chinese five spice
1/2 tsp chili flakes

Method
Place all ingredients in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, for 30 minutes or until plums collapse.
Use a stick blender to blend until smooth. Pour hot sauce into sterilised bottles. Seal, label and date.

Chook's note: this sauces should be \tweaked to your own personal taste - more or less bite. I made half quantity and that produced one 330ml bottle - I've been used beer bottles with ceramic stoppers but you might to try something smaller.
I sterilise my bottles and jars in the dishwasher on 'Quick + Dry' setting. 

Turmeric fish

A simple Vietnamese recipe. Thanks Adam Liaw, it was delicious!
Sorry no pix we devoured it before i thought of taking a pic.

Ingredients
½-1 Tbsp grated ginger
1 Tbsp fish sauce
¼ tsp sugar
1 Tbsp turmeric
Juice ½ lemon
300-400g white fish cut across the grain into 1cm slices
1-2 Tbsp oil
3-5 spring onions cut into 5cm lengths

1/2 - 1 cup picked dill sprigs

Serves 2

Method
Squeeze the juice out of the grated ginger and combine with fish sauce, sugar, turmeric and lemon juice. Mix well and pour over the fish. Refrigerate overnight to marinate and cure.
Heat oil and fry the fish for a minute or so on each side. Add the spring onions and lightly fry. Add dill.

Serve with rice noodles or rice

Chook’s note: I used ‘flake’ but any firm white fish would work. Serve it with rice noodles or with whatever vegge you like.  It’s a flavoursome way to serve fish.

Almond biscuits

Ingredients
3 egg whites
125g caster sugar
1/4 tsp salt
200-250g ground almonds (or almond flour for a finer texture)
1-2 drops almond essence, to taste (I use 1/2 tsp)
(Makes about 35)

Method
Preheat oven to 170-180C.
Whisk egg whites until soft peaks begin to form then beat in the sugar.
Fold in the ground almonds and essence.
Place spoonfuls, or pipe on to lined baking tray. Set aside for 30 mins.
Bake biscuits 15-20 mins until golden brown - I like them a bit gooey in the middle.
Cool on a rack then either serve or store in airtight container.

Chook's note: on my first attempt the oven was too hot so I have knocked it back a bit. Make sure your mixture is not to dry so don't add all the almond meal at once.
I decorated half with glace cherries and slivered almonds.  
 

Bara brith

Welsh 'speckled bread' 

Bara brith is a is a rich fruit loaf made with tea. It's elicious spread with salty butter or cheese - or both! I'm not a sweet tooth so this is a favourite of mine 

Ingredients
450g mixed dried fruit (if including dried figs cut them very small)
300ml tea
2 Tbsp marmalade
1 egg, beaten
6 Tbsp soft brown sugar
1 Tsp mixed spice
450g SR flour
Honey to glaze

Method
Soak fruit overnight in the tea – or if you don’t have time 1-2 hrs is fine. 
Preheat over 175-180C.
Mix in the marmalade, egg, sugar, spice and flour.
Spoon into a greased *900g loaf tin and bake 1 hr or until the centre is cooked through.
If the top is browning too much cover with a sheet of foil.
Once cooked leave the Bara Brith to stand for 5 mins before turning out onto a cooling tray. Then brush the top with honey.
Serve sliced with salted butter or add some tasty cheddar – it is also yummy toasted with butter and/or cheese. 

Chook’s note: The original recipe was made with yeast but it works perfectly well with SR flour. If using SR flour try adding ½ tsp of bicarb soda for extra umph! The top of the loaf will split when baking but don’t worry this allows the centre to cook more easily (the Irish used to cut a cross in the top of their soda bread to let the Devil out but in reality if helps with cooking the centre).  
You could throw in a few caraway seeds to the mix. Be creative. Maybe try making muffin-sized small ‘loaves’. It freezes very well. 

This is not unlike my date and walnut loaf (posted June 2017) and boiled fruit cake (Sept 2017) only a little denser.

*For those who need dimensions - a 900gm loaf tin is about 28cm L x 14cm W x 12cm H

Peak Hill Brandy Sauce

The last little slurp! looks like a trip to the 'bottlo'.

Ingredients
1/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cream
2 eggs
2 Tbsp brandy

Method
Cream butter and stir in sugar and brandy slowly.
Add well beat egg yolks and cream.
Cook in double saucepan until thick stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat and add slightly beaten egg whites. It helps to use a whisk to blend them in, but only blend lightly.
(Makes 1 jar)

Chook's note: the name? it's a long story. If  the sauce is not thick enough you can add a little cornflour later. If the brandy separates out stir it back in. Add a touch more brandy before serving if you like. Add enough brandy and with the butter and sugar it is guaranteed to be delicious!

‘Twas the night before Christmas.....

'Twas the night before Christmas - almost! Eeek ... I don’t believe it. I’m sure you are all organised with pressies and the like, but if not DON’T PANIC there’s time to whip something up fairly quickly which will be loved by whoever receives it. Sorry I'm dragging the lead, the last couple of months I have been rather distracted, however here I am back.   Here are a few recipes/suggestions from my kitchen to yours either for the table, to use as gifts or both. And don't forget for something different to serve with the ham or turkey - Black Currant Gastrique (recipe posted December 2017).
Remember Christmas should be a time of joy and sharing. Feel blessed if you are so loved that you are crazy busy - the alternative is not a happy place to be.
Wrap up something useful or tasty – a small ham, smoked chicken, wine, spiced oil or even a nice copper pot or kitchen ‘torch’ (for crème brulee).
Make some tasty morsels, add crackling cellophane, a nice ribbon and voila!

• mini Christmas puds 
• dark and delicious panforte
• almond biscuits
• coffee meringue kisses 
• sesame peanut toffee
• candied grapefruit or orange peel (recipe to follow - )
• chutney or pickles – they don’t take as long to make as you think. With so much summer fruit in the shops try my peach and chili chutney or peach and plum BBQ sauce. Or some more exotic Indian pickles

[recipes below - use the search tool

Maybe next year make an early start (note to self!) and make your own gift boxes covered with stunning paper – if you’re like me you keep good boxes ‘in case’.  Make those pickles, chutneys and jams when there’s a glut of fruit.

Seasons greetings and bon appetite. And I wish you all joie de vivre and a tasty 2020!