Chinese plum and pepper sauce

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg plum(s), sweet, fresh, pitted and chopped
• 100 g sugar, brown
• 2 tsp salt
• ½ chili pepper(s), fresh, pitted and finely chopped
• 1 tsp star anise
• 1 tsp pepper (Szechuan pepper)
• ½ clove(s) garlic, very finely chopped
• 1 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
• 50 ml soy sauce, dark
• 100 ml red wine vinegar
• chili powder
• Sugar

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 3 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 4 hours

perfect with poultry!

Place the plum pieces in a saucepan and mix with 100g of brown sugar and salt. Cover and let steep for 2-3 hours. Crush the star anise and Sichuan peppercorns in a mortar and pestle and add them to the plums along with the chopped chili pepper, garlic, and black pepper. Bring everything to a boil over low heat, mashing the plums repeatedly with a potato masher. Stir frequently to create a smooth plum puree. (Watch the heat! Not too hot!!) Then add the soy sauce and vinegar and simmer until the desired consistency is reached. Season again with salt, sugar, and chili powder. Add a little more soy sauce if desired (to taste). This goes perfectly with poultry dishes.