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| Ingredients | | Plum Paste | | 1kg plums, halved | | 1 cup water | | caster sugar | | 2 tablespoons lemon juice | | To Serve | | 150g Pont l’Évêque cheese, at room temperature | | 12 Falwasser crackers (available at good supermarkets) |
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| Pont L’évêque Cheese & Plum Paste |
| 30 / 10 / 06 Natalia Schamroth, Issue 119 |
| Photography by Steve Brown |
| Choose plums that are slightly underripe rather than overripe as their pectin content will help set this paste faster, ensuring a true plum flavour that will not taste overcooked. |
Method |
Plum Paste
Place the plums, stones and water in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Simmer, covered with a lid, until just softened. Pass the plums through a Mouli (discard stones) and return to the saucepan. Weigh the pulp and add to it an equal quantity of sugar.
Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved then add the lemon juice. Turn up to a brisk simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened. This process will take between 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the pectin content of the fruit. Test the plum paste as you would jam; a small amount on a saucer should form a skin and thicken quite quickly after 1-2 minutes in the refrigerator.
Pour the paste into a rectangular loaf tin lined with baking paper and leave to set. Store airtight in the refrigerator or in a cool dark place until ready to use.
To Serve
Serve a chunk of the plum paste with the cheese and crackers. Serves 2. 
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