The caramel when mixed with the fish sauce and vinegar gives the plum a smoky flavour and aroma, and the juice that escapes during the cooking process becomes a gorgeous sauce.
500 g large blue plums
100 g clarified butter
50g cane sugar
20g fish sauce
50 ml red wine vinegar
Cut the plums in half and remove the seeds. Fry in ghee in a heated pan, 1-2 minutes.
Add the sugar and gently stir over a high heat to caramelize the plums until the sugar has completely melted.
Add the fish sauce and vinegar. Stir and remove from the heat.
Marinated aubergines
Ideal appetizer with vodka and accompaniment to any hot meat or poultry. But it could also become a main dish.
1 kg small aubergines
25 g salt
50 g garlic
50 g chili pepper
30 g coriander
100 g sugar
200 ml water
250 ml vegetable oil, preferably unrefined sunflower oil.
400 ml white wine vinegar
Prick the aubergines with a knife in several places. Boil them in salted water until soft, about 10-15 minutes without cutting them. Squeeze out and cut into large chunks. Put into a jar or large bowl.
Finely chop the garlic and coriander for the marinade. Cut the chillies open and remove the seeds and membranes. Mix the sugar, water, oil and vinegar in a heavy-based saucepan. Bring to the boil. The sugar should be completely melted.
Add the garlic and chili. Stir to mix. Remove from the heat and pour this marinade over the aubergines. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 6-8 hours. The longer the aubergines marinate, the better they will taste.