Fiddling around …with plums and damsons

What's to come?

My idea using the Asian plum sauce is beginning to take shape in the form of an Asian/Italian fusion. Not everyone is fond of duck so I'm going to try a chicken breast stuffed with an Italian cheese – I'm going to use Taleggio which melts very well, topped with sliced damson plums and wrapped in pancetta. Roasted and served drizzled with the Asian plum sauce – hold that thought!

I did warn you that I was going to bore the pants off.

Have you ever fancied a plum pizza? I suppose a lot depends on whether you like the combination of sweet and savoury but hey, this could be a learning curve – what's the worst that can happen?

Who fancies a Croque Pruneau?

In the meantime :

A different Crostini topping anyone?

Remember, you can make Crostini as small or as large as you like. A smaller version is ideal for a canapé and sliced baguettes are perfect, part baked or toasted. You could use larger slices of soda bread or sour dough – sliced and toasted for a snack, lunch or supper.

The world really is your lobster here but, here are my first thoughts :

Bake slices of prosciutto or serrano ham or smoked

bacon if you prefer – you want crisp and flat!

Line a baking tray with baking parchment, then lay

the slices, add another layer of parchment and then

another baking tray on top.

Bake in a hot oven – 180fan/200c/Gas 6 -

check after 15 minutes. May need another 10

minutes – depends on the thickness of the slices.

Set aside to cool and then snap into small pieces.

Box and fridge.

This element can be made ahead.

Damson plums from your open freezing stash, defrosted,

sliced and sautéed lightly in a frying pan with a knob of

unsalted butter (25g) – be gentle, you want the slices

to keep their shape. Set aside.

This element can be made ahead.

Assembly

Use tapenade to spread on the base of your

Crostini

Add cheese of your choice - Goats' cheese, cubed or sliced

Parmesan or Pecorino - grated – Mozzarella, torn or

Taleggio sliced

Add your sautéed plums

Cook in a hot oven until golden and crispy – 3-4 minutes

at 180fan/200c/Gas 6.

Sprinkle with the baked “bacon” pieces and serve

with a drizzle of the Asian plum sauce that you've

pulled from your freezer and defrosted – warmed if you

prefer.

If I had one suggestion to make it would be don't overload with toppings – less is more and you don't want one flavour to obliterate another.

Use ingredients that you love and enjoy or may be live dangerously and try something new!