Black Plum Sorbet With Honey And Thyme Food

BLACK-PLUM SORBET WITH HONEY AND THYME

Steps:

• Dissolve the sugar in 1/2 cup water over medium heat. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and add the thyme sprigs, pressing them under the surface of the syrup. Allow them to steep for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, peel and pit the plums, chopping them coarsely as you do. Combine the plums, about 1/3 of the skin, the ascorbic acid and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth.
• Remove the thyme sprigs from the syrup and stir in the honey until dissolved. Pour 1/2 cup of the honey-thyme syrup into the plum mixture and process until blended. Taste the mixture; it should be sweet, but not intensely so. If plums were underripe, you might need to add a little more syrup. Pour mixture into a bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before churning in an ice-cream maker. Set up to finish in the freezer.

PLUM SORBET OR GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine the red wine, clove, peppercorns, vanilla and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain into a bowl. Allow to cool. Blend the plums with the honey, corn syrup and wine syrup in a blender until smooth. Chill for 2 hours or overnight.
• If you are making granita, place a 9-by-11-inch baking dish in the freezer. You may omit the corn syrup and reduce the sugar if desired.
• Using an immersion blender, blend the plum mixture for 30 seconds. If making sorbet, freeze in an ice cream maker following the manufacturer's directions. If making granita, scrape into the chilled baking dish and place back in the freezer. Set the timer for 30 minutes. Using a fork, scrape the ice crystals from the outside of the baking dish toward the center. Return to the freezer and set the timer for another 30 minutes. Continue to scrape the mixture with a fork every 30 minutes until you have a uniform frozen mixture. It should not be frozen solid. If you forget to scrape and the mixture does freeze like an ice cube, cut into chunks and use a food processor fitted with the steel blade to break it up. Transfer to a container and freeze. Allow to soften for 15 minutes in the refrigerator before serving.

HONEY-ROASTED PLUMS WITH THYME AND CRèME FRAîCHE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 475°F. Stir first 4 ingredients in large ovenproof nonstick skillet over high heat until butter melts. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly (mixture will bubble vigorously). Add plum halves, cut side down. Cook plums without stirring for 2 minutes. Turn plums over and transfer skillet to oven. Roast until caramel is deep brown, checking frequently to prevent burning, about 4 minutes.
• Divide plum halves among 6 plates. Spoon sauce from skillet over plums, leaving most of thyme sprigs behind. Drizzle plums with crème fraîche, garnish with additional thyme sprigs, and serve.