A simple, aromatic plum sauce for duck that comes together in one pot and pairs beautifully with tender duck. Sweet, tangy, lightly spiced, and perfect for seasonal plums.
If you're serving duck, you need a good plum sauce for duck - and this one is my favorite. It's sweet, tangy, gently spiced, and it comes together in one pot while the duck cooks.
This recipe isn't about teaching a new method for roasting duck - use whichever method you already love. The duck legs in the photos are just a serving suggestion; today, we're really here for the sauce.
You can pair it with Slow-Cooked Duck Legs (as I did here), Confit de Canard, duck breast, or a whole roasted duck.
Ingredients: 9 | Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Servings: 4 | Difficulty: Easy
Jump to recipe
Recipe ingredients
Plums: Dark red plums are ideal for this plum sauce. Choose plums that are ripe but firm. Frozen plums also work, too, but the sauce might cook faster, so check.
- If you have more plums, make Plum Clafoutis or Plum Bread; both recipes are out of this world good!
Other ingredients: Onion, brown sugar, red wine, chicken or vegetable stock, cinnamon, and star anise - they all add wonderful flavor.
Cornstarch (optional): Usually unnecessary, but if your sauce is too thin, a small cornstarch slurry will help you control the consistency.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make plum sauce for duck?
Step #1: Halve and stone the plums, then slice the halves and chop the onion.
Step #2: Sauté onions until translucent, then stir in the sugar and all the remaining ingredients.
Step #3: Simmer the plum sauce for 15 minutes, until the fruit is soft but not mushy and the sauce is slightly thickened.
Step #4: Serve the plum sauce with duck cooked any way you like. In the images, I served the sauce with Slow-Cooked Duck Legs.
Tips for the Best Plum Sauce
Thickening the sauce is optional. Depending on the juiciness of the plums, the pot, and the heat, the sauce might already be thick enough.
- If you need to thicken it, stir 1-2 teaspoons of cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water to make a smooth slurry, then whisk it slowly into the simmering sauce.
- Let it bubble for a minute to thicken, adding only as much slurry as you need - the sauce should stay pourable, not heavy.
Make ahead - the flavors improve after resting, and reheating is easy. It also makes it easier if you are cooking this for the holidays.
Recipe FAQs
Yes - replace the wine with extra stock and add a splash of vinegar for acidity.
Yes - no need to thaw. Start checking after 5-7 minutes, as frozen plums cook faster and can become mushy if overcooked. Stir gently; frozen plums can break apart faster than fresh, so you'll need to watch the texture.
Yes! It works wonderfully with pork, chicken, turkey, or even roasted vegetables. And try these sweet Stewed Plums that you can serve as dessert.
Storage
Fridge: Keep in a jar or an airtight container for 4-5 days.
Freezer: Freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating: Heat gently in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of water or stock if needed.
Serving Suggestions
This sauce pairs beautifully with duck. You can serve it with slow-cooked duck legs, roasted duck legs, confit duck, or a whole duck. The sauce also pairs well with pork, roasted goose, turkey, or chicken.
Try it with Roast Chicken for Christmas - a really festive meal, Roasted Half Chicken, or Slow-Roasted Turkey Breast.
Plum Sauce for Duck
Equipment
- Roasting tin
- Medium saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 lb dark red plums
- 1 small onion
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 1 cup chicken stock or vegetable stock
- ¾ cup red wine
- 1-2 teaspoons cornstarch optional, Note 2
- fine sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Make the sauce while the duck is roasting; even if it cools down, you can easily reheat it.
- Prepare the ingredients: Halve and stone the plums, then slice the halves. Finely chop the onion.1 lb dark red plums + 1 small onion
- Sauté onion: Heat the oil in the saucepan and sauté the onion for a couple of minutes until translucent but not colored.1 tablespoon olive oil + onion
- Add ingredients: Add the brown sugar and stir it for 2 minutes until dissolved and slightly caramelized. Add the plums, cinnamon stick, star anise, red wine, and stock.½ cup brown sugar + 1 cinnamon stick + 1 star anise + 1 cup chicken stock + ¾ cup red wine
- Simmer the plum sauce for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the plums are soft but not mushy and the sauce is slightly thickened.
- Optional: Thicken the sauce if you like. Stir 1-2 teaspoons of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water to obtain a thick yet pourable slurry. Whisk the slurry slowly into the simmering sauce; you might not need all of it. The sauce should not be overly thick.1-2 teaspoons cornstarch + 1 tablespoon water
- Serve: Adjust the taste with salt and pepper (if necessary) and serve immediately or reheat it later (Note 2). The sauce also freezes well, so you can make it ahead and thaw it when you need it.fine sea salt and black pepper
Notes
- Thickening the sauce is optional. Depending on the juiciness of the plums, the pot, and the heat, the sauce might already be thick enough, or you may need to thicken it slightly with a small amount of cornstarch.
- Serve with Slow-Cooked Duck Legs (see images), confit duck, or a whole duck.
Leave a Reply