dicky & debbie.com

Ingredients

4 garlic cloves, minced
15 grams fresh ginger, minced
1 small onion minced
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups water
1/8 cup of tariyaki sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/8 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried chili
1.25 kg plums, pitted and chopped
1 lemon juiced
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 tablespoon water

Directions

Place first 11 ingredients into pot.

Bring to boil then simmer 30 minutes.

Mix the water and cornstarch.

In a blender, mix the solids from the pot with the cornstarch mixture hen return to the pan with the liquids, simmering all the while.

Simmer until thickened.

Pour into steralised jars and put into a water bath for 10 minutes.

Remove jars from the bath and cool.  Store in a dark place.

Summer for m is strawberries.  We used to have a battle with our dearly departed Jack Russell called Bella over who owned the strawberry patch.  In the end I have to admit that she did, but only because she got to eat the strawberries.  To the victor got the spoils.  Now that Bella has passed on to the the great strawberry patch on the sky you would think that there would be plenty of strawberries to go around.  Now we have to fight a five year old for the opportunity to seems able to hoover up the strawberries like an industrial pool cleaner.  But whenever there are left over strawberries for me to sample, I reach for this sauce.

Ingredients

500 ml bottle cheap balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon castor sugar
1 tablespoon black molasses sugar or brown sugar

Method

Using a wide saucepan, reduce the balsamic vinegar and the castor sugar down to around 100mls.

When it is starting to become thick and syrupy, add the black molasses sugar and stir to dissolve.  Check the sweetness and add more if needed or to taste.  It should have  pungent toffee aroma and become very thick.

It also goes well with ice cream