Bullace, wild plum & cherry plum

John Wright

LATIN NAME

Bullace: Prunus domestica

subsp. insititia.

Wild plum: Prunus domestica.

Cherry plum: Prunus cerasifera

SEASONALITY

Bullace and wild plum: August–September. Cherry plum: July–August

HABITAT

Bullace and wild plums: Found on lowlands throughout Britain. Cherry plums: Mainly southern and eastern distribution

MORE RECIPES

Damson ripple parfait; Damson and rosemary vodka

Few things cause as much confusion as the various types of wild plum that can be found in the hedgerow. All are purple. But where the bullace is small and round, rather like a big sloe, the wild plum is large and oval. (The wild damson, on the other hand, is small and oval.) These are all, basically, plums, Prunus domestica, although bullace and damson are usually considered to be the subspecies insititia.

Bullace and wild plums are found from mid-August to mid-September. Both have the potential to be quite delicious, though you never quite know until you take a bite. They may be just as sweet and tasty as a good orchard plum, or they may not. They can be eaten raw or cooked, just like cultivated plums, and the tiny bullace is wonderful used in place of sloes in a sloe gin recipe, with the bonus that the fruit is even tastier after its long sojourn steeped in alcohol. Leave the fruit in the gin or vodka for at least 3 months for the best effect.

The cherry plum, a different species, is hugely abundant where it has been planted as a roadside tree. It fruits earlier than the other plums – from the first week or two of July until the end of August. The fruit are about 3cm in diameter and cluster like grapes around the branches. You can pick a hundred kilos in an afternoon with a bit of help. They come in yellow and red and I hesitate to say which is better, as the flavour varies so much from year to year and tree to tree (though, if pressed, I would go for the yellow ones).

What also varies is whether or not you will find cherry plums at all. Their early flowering leaves them vulnerable to bad weather and they often fail, sometimes for several years. When there is a glut, it is well worth making jam, and some cherry plum wine. It can be a tricky wine to pull off, going sour very easily during fermentation, but scrupulous cleanliness should pull you through.

GRILLED CHEESE SALAD WITH BULLACE COMPOTE

Tangy, plummy bullace marry beautifully with salty ewe’s or goat’s cheese. You can use any wild plum or damson here, or try the compote with tart cherries – just vary the sweet/acid seasonings according to the flavour of the fruit. Serves 4 as a light meal

250g ripe bullace (or other wild plums)

4 slices from a baguette (or other loaf of your choice)

1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil, plus extra for brushing

2 tsp clear honey, plus a little extra if needed

4 tsp cider vinegar, plus a little extra if needed

½ tsp thyme leaves

1 small or ½ large head of radicchio, leaves separated

1 tbsp extra virgin olive or rapeseed oil

4 thick slices of soft, rinded ewe’s or goat’s cheese

Sea salt and black pepper

Stone the bullace using a cherry stoner, or by halving the fruit with a small, sharp knife and prising out the stone.

Preheat the grill to medium. Brush both sides of the bread slices with a little oil and toast lightly on both sides.

Heat a small pan over a medium heat and add 1 tbsp oil. Add the bullace, 2 tsp honey, 3 tsp cider vinegar, the thyme leaves and 2 tbsp water. Cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8–10 minutes or until the bullace start to break down. You want the compote to be quite loose, so don’t overcook it. Add a splash more water if necessary.

Taste the compote and adjust the sweetness and acidity with a little more honey or vinegar if required. Keep warm.

Put the radicchio leaves into a large bowl and add the remaining 1 tsp cider vinegar, 1 tbsp extra virgin oil and some salt and pepper. Toss to coat the leaves with the dressing, then divide between salad bowls or plates.

Lay a slice of cheese on each slice of toast. Grill until the cheese is golden, then place a cheese toast on each pile of radicchio. Spoon over the warm bullace compote and serve.