Pam Corbin
LATIN NAME
Prunus insititia
SEASONALITY
August–October
HABITAT
Hedgerows, light woodland
MORE RECIPES
Grilled cheese salad with bullace compote
Whether from hedgerow or orchard, damsons are valued for their bold, plummy, wine-rich character. They have a particular allure, subtly different from their fatter, sweeter plum cousins – something to do with their relative scarcity and superb, sharp-sweet depth of flavour. Events such as Cumbria’s Damson Day, held each spring as snow-white damson blossom fills the Lyth Valley in Westmorland, attest to the appeal of this fruit. Their dusky darkness is special too: the rich pigment from their skins was employed as a dye in the textile industry, once used to create RAF blue.
At farm shops and pick-your-own farms from late summer, you’ll find cultivated damsons – plumper, juicier and sweeter than their wild relatives. They’re easier to scoff straight from the tree, or turn into tarts, pies and crumbles with just a little sugar.
The true or hedgerow damson, found in hedgerows and woodlands late in August and into autumn, is small, astringent and relatively full of pit. It’s distinguishable from other small, dark wild plums by its oval shape (its relative, the bullace, is spherical). These fruits need more sweetening, more cooking and often more added liquid than cultivated damsons, but can be used in many of the same recipes; adjust accordingly.
With good acidity and rich in pectin, damsons are great in jams, jellies, pickles, fruit cheeses and liqueurs. Unlike plums, they are tough to stone when raw, so I rarely bother. On cooking, the stones are released and can be scooped out. An even simpler way to separate the fruit from the stones is to make a damson sauce. Poach 1kg fruit with 300ml water until the fruit collapses, push the mixture through a nylon sieve and sweeten the purée to taste. Freeze in small tubs to make ice creams or sorbets, to pour over poached pears or cheesecakes, or to add port-like richness to game or meat sauces.
The contrast of this snowy, sweet parfait and dark, tangy fruit purée is exceptionally good. Flavourful tart plums or blackberries can be used in place of the damsons. Serves 8
500g damsons
130g caster sugar
3 medium egg yolks
300ml double cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
Line a 1kg loaf tin with cling film, leaving plenty overhanging the edges.
Put the damsons into a saucepan with 2 tbsp water and 50g of the sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook gently, stirring regularly, for about 8 minutes until the fruit has broken down and the stones are coming free. Rub the fruit through a sieve to create a purée. Leave to cool then taste: it should be quite sweet, but with the tartness of the damsons coming through. Add more sugar if necessary. Chill the purée.
Put the egg yolks into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, or into a large bowl with an electric hand whisk at the ready. Put the remaining 80g sugar into a small pan with 125ml water. Stir over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves, then increase the heat and boil, without stirring, until the syrup registers 108°C on a sugar thermometer.
Start whisking the egg yolks, then slowly pour on the hot sugar syrup in a thin stream, whisking continuously. Beat for about 4 minutes, until the mixture is thick, pale and glossy and ‘holds a trail’ when you lift the whisk. In a separate bowl, whisk the cream with the vanilla to soft peaks, then fold into the egg and sugar mixture.
Transfer to the lined loaf tin and freeze for 1–2 hours, until holding its shape but still pliable. Make several holes in the parfait mix and spoon in the damson purée. Cut and swirl the mixture to spread the purée around, making sure you retain a contrasting ripple effect. Smooth the surface, bring the cling film over the top to cover and freeze until solid.
Allow the frozen parfait to soften in the fridge for 30 minutes or so before turning out on to a board and slicing to serve.