SWEET OR SAVOURY PLUM SAUCE

MAKES 1 CUP (250ML)

Double amount of prawns and caster sugar if making both plum sauces.

300g plums, stones removed, chopped 70g caster sugar 8cm piece (40g) ginger, peeled, sliced 1 long red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped 2/3 cup (160ml) rice wine vinegar 1/3 cup (80ml) light soy sauce 1 split vanilla pod (reserved from vanilla, white chocolate and pistachio semifreddo recipe, p 128)

To make the savoury sauce, place plums in a blender and whiz until smooth.

Place sugar in a frypan over mediumhigh heat. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally to dissolve the sugar, until a golden caramel. Add ginger, chilli, vinegar and soy (the sugar will harden, but it will re-dissolve over heat). Add plum purée and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, for 12 minutes or until reduced by one-third. Strain through a sieve into a heatproof bowl and cool.

To make the sweet plum sauce, repeat plum purée and caramel steps. When sugar mixture is a golden caramel, add puréed plums, vanilla pod and 1 cup (250ml) water to frypan and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring regularly to dissolve the caramel, for 10 minutes or until thickened. Strain through a fine sieve into a heatproof bowl and set aside to cool.