While out shopping one day, I went into a store that had a section of random food items, one of which was a bottled chipotle plum sauce. So out of curiosity; I bought a bottle. I served the sauce with broiled tilapia for dinner one night and my daughter loved it. Actually, she raved about it. Unfortunately, when I returned to the store to buy more bottles of the sauce, there were none left. So I decided to make it myself.

This sauce is so flavorful and versatile; its uses are limitless. We’ve used it with chicken, fish, pork, as a dipping sauce for egg rolls, crab Rangoon, toasted ravioli, basically anywhere we’ve wanted something sweet, spicy and slightly sticky. The sugar to acid ratio is just right, and not as overly sugary as some bottled sauces can be. Even more importantly, its daughter approved!

Ingredients:

6 cups vegetable stock
6 ripe black plums, pitted and chopped
3 Anaheim peppers, seeded and chopped
1 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons chipotle chile puree
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1) Bring the vegetable stock and the Anaheim peppers to a boil in a saucepan until the liquid is reduced by half, about 20 minutes.

2) Combine the plums, vinegars, and granulated sugar in another saucepan over medium heat, and cook until the plums are soft, about 20 minutes.

3) Discard the Anaheim peppers and strain the stock into the pan with the plums. Add the chipotle puree and using an immersion blender, blend the ingredients until smooth.

4) Strain the pureed sauce into a clean saucepan and cook it over medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and reduced by a third. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

5) Remove the pan from the heat, and allow the sauce to cool thoroughly. Store the sauce in a tightly sealed jar in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.