2019 – The “Spring Festival” marks the start of the Chinese New Year next Tuesday 5th February – 2019 – the Year of the Pig. Celebrated with visits to family and friends, special meals, amazing fireworks and gift giving. People welcome spring and what that brings with it – planting and harvest, new beginnings and fresh starts.
Here at Mac Ivors cider, we love any excuse for delicious food and celebration. So we decided to make a delicious “Plum & Ginger Cider Sauce” to pair with dumplings (‘cos who doesn’t love dumplings), or with spring rolls. You could also even use it to marinade a tasty duck breast, or pork loin.
Our Medium Cider and Plum & Ginger Cider will both match perfectly with many Chinese dishes too. So even if you don’t attempt the sauce, crack open a bottle or two to celebrate New Year in style this weekend!
The recipe is really simple, so try it yourself at home and let us know how you get on.
Recipe
- 500g fresh plums (destoned and cut into small chunks)
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 3 tbsp Demerara sugar
- 2 tbsp freshly grated Ginger
- 250ml Mac Ivors Plum & Ginger Cider
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium temperature, then add all the ingredients and bring to the boil.
- Reduce to a very gentle heat and simmer for 30 mins or so, until the sauce has reduced down to the thickness you’re after, stirring throughout. * We may have used this time to finish the bottle of cider…and then some…
- We used the sauce as is, but you could easily give it a quick blend to smooth any plum chunks.
- Voila – a super simple, delicious sauce – perfect for a side dish or as a marinade for duck
If you fancy heading out to celebrate Chinese New Year instead of cooking at home, be sure and check out the local festivals happening all over Ireland:
https://www.dublinchinesenewyear.com/
https://visitbelfast.com/whats-on/events/chinese-new-year-2019
https://www.thejournal.ie/whats-on-dublin-and-cork-for-chinese-new-year-4455274-Jan2019/
