Roasted Plums with Thyme and Caramel Sauce
This recipe is intended to be a dessert, but that didn't stop me from making it for breakfast yesterday morning, and it shouldn't stop you either. This dish is a snap to put together, but the flavors are sophisticated and the final presentation is beautiful. You're insane if you don't go make it first thing in the morning.
The original recipe is from Bon Appetit, but I changed the quantities and instructions to match my smaller quantity of plums. Then I toasted some almonds with the leftover caramel sauce that was stuck to the skillet. All I had wanted was a bit of crunch, but the extra sauce melted and fused the almonds together into the little bits of nougat-y candy. I also added a couple pinches of fleur de sel to balance the flavors because my plums were so tart. If yours are more mellow, or you like fruit that makes your lips pucker, you can probably leave it out.
4 small plums, halved and pitted
2 tbsp. dark brown sugar
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. slivered almonds
Handful of fresh thyme sprigs
Greek yogurt, ricotta cheese, or dairy product of your choice for serving
Pinch fleur de sel (optional)
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat; quickly add brown sugar and honey. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add plums, cut side down, and cook 2 minutes without stirring. Turn plums over, then put in oven for 2 minutes, or until caramel is deep brown. Transfer plums to a bowl or serving plate and drizzle with the sauce. Taste and sprinkle with fleur de sel if necessary.
Heat skillet over low heat without cleaning. Spread almonds evenly over the surface and cook 2-3 minutes, or until they smell toasty. Sprinkle over plums.
Serve dish with several good dollops of yogurt or ricotta cheese.
The original recipe suggested discarding the thyme sprigs, but I have never been one to throw away anything that looked remotely edible. Crunchy and caramel-coated, they turned out to be one of my favorite parts of the dish. That said, I can see why they wouldn't be ideal for serving to guests. Mine fused into a sticky, burnt-looking mess at the bottom of the skillet, so their appearance was a bit off-putting, and they would have been hard to divide among different serving bowls. I advise you to save them as a little treat for the cook.
Although prepping this dish is a snap, cleaning up pots and pans after an adventure with caramel sauce can be a chore. Mine came out pretty easily with my regular stiff scrubbing pad, but if you can't get yours out, try boiling some water in the skillet to loosen it.