One of the most frustrating aspects of my (Emily) life is that I have a sensitivity to a lot of raw fruits and some vegetables. I’m not allergic, but I get an itchy mouth that is extremely unpleasant (and occasionally alarming). It’s called Oral Allergy Syndrome, also known as Pollen-Food Allergy Syndrome. It happens because the proteins in certain raw fruits, vegetables, and nuts are structurally similar to seasonal tree, grass, or weed pollens. So if you have a lot of seasonal allergies, your immune system gets confused and triggers a mild allergic reaction.
Mine is specifically a Birch Pollen allergy, which is a sensitivity to apples, peaches, pears, cherries, plums, and kiwi. You know, the good stuff. And raw carrots, for some reason.
Matt and I always joke about why can’t I just tell my immune system to calm the eff down. It’s like, dude (as I call my immune system), it’s a cherry, not a nuclear weapon. Sadly that means I really can’t eat some of my favorite seasonal treats. Unless they’re cooked! Yes, the workaround is heat, which destroys the sensitive proteins that cause cross-reactivity.
When we decided to develop a recipe for juicy, tender pork chops, we knew we wanted something simple and delicious to go with it. Pork is often paired with peaches, but right now good plums are easier to find. So sautéed plums was the side we chose. We also love the tartness they bring, and of course that beautiful color. Really any stone fruit will work here, so you could just as easily use peaches, nectarines or apricots, and they will all be delicious.
What kind of plums to look for
When you go to the market, you might see two, three or even four varieties of plums available at the same time. Depending of where you are, and the season, of course. All plums are part of the subgenus Prunus and come from fruit trees closely related to apricots and bush cherries. Below are some varieties that will work well in this recipe.
The most common plums you’ll find in stores are called Elephant Heart plums. It’s a Japanese plum variety that has reddish-purple skin and red flesh. When ripe, it’s soft, sweet, and juicy. It is a clingstone plum, which means its pit clings to the soft flesh surrounding it.
Another common variety are Black Ruby plums. Black rubies are one of the few plums from China or Japan that have freestone pits, which means the pit readily separates from the surrounding flesh. They ripen earlier than most other plums (early-to-mid summer as opposed to late summer).
Simca plums are another red plum variety that have juicy flesh. A natural coating of wax makes the skin of some Simcas appear mottled between red and blue. They are clingstones with a golden flesh color.
We love Italian prune plums but they aren’t as easy to find around us. They’re very sweet and quite delicate, so they mostly get turned into prunes. They are egg-shaped and have purple-blue skin with a powdery veneer.
Sweet, spicy and a little tart
We’re going to serve these sautéed plums with pork chops, which are a low-and-slow kind of deal. So we wanted our side to be quick and easy to prepare. The plums provide not just sweetness, but depth of flavor as well.
Once you slice your plums, set them aside. Heat butter (or use olive oil) until it turns slightly golden, then add in the chili flakes, honey and thyme, and stir until it’s combined. Then add the plums, season them with salt and pepper, and cook over medium heat until the plums turn juicy and slightly softened. This can take about 5 to 10 minutes, but it will really depend on the type of plum and how ripe they are. That’s it! Just set them aside until you’re ready for them.
You can make sautéed plums up to two days ahead. Refrigerate them in an airtight container. When you’re ready for them, gently reheat them in a skillet, or serve them at room temperature.
These are a perfect accompaniment to lots of dishes, from pork chops to grilled chicken, and so much more. (Hell, serve them over vanilla ice cream.)
Sweet and Spicy Sautéed Plums
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes Aleppo pepper or other dried chili flakes
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup or brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
- 1 pound red, black or Italian plums pitted and sliced into 1/2-inch wedges (can substitute peaches, nectarines or apricots)
- Kosher salt & Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add butter (or oil) and stir with a silicone spatula until it melts, begins to foam and turn slightly golden, about 2-3 minutes. If using oil, heat just until it’s shimmering.
- Add in the chili flakes, honey and thyme and stir to combine. Add sliced plums, season with salt and pepper, and cook over medium heat until the plums turn juicy and slightly softened, about 5 to 10 minutes (time will depend on ripeness and type of plum). Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.