While on vacation in northern California, we drove from Santa Clara (just outside of San Francisco, in Silicon Valley) to Mammoth Lakes, which is in the eastern Sierra Mountains. This route took us straight through the San Joaquin valley.
This valley is saturated with orchards - grove upon grove of peaches, plums, olives, and almonds, to name a few. Where there are orchards, there are farm stands. However, in order to have prolific orchards, one also must have persistent heat. I'm not talking about the kind of warm summer day that urges you to take a walk to the park or have a picnic in the backyard. Nope. I'm talking about scorching, floating-down-the River Hades kind of heat.
It was 113 degrees F when we passed through. Anybody that knows me well knows that I wilt in heat over 90 degrees F. I was always the kid that came back from gym class with bright red cheeks that didn't subside for at least an hour.
However, my love of fresh fruits and veggies trumped the heat and I actually agreed to get out of the car to visit the farm stands. We picked up a bag of the sweetest summer corn, along with a bushel of large, juicy plums, and an incredible cherry pie. It was well worth the sacrifice!
This recipe is based on a recipe in Food & Wine Magazine. The original recipe called for sweet or spicy red pepper jelly. However, Mammoth Lakes' grocery store, while relatively well-stocked, was lacking in red pepper jellies. So, I improvised by adding some mango fruit spread and chopped jalapeno pepper. I was pretty darn pleased with the results.
Season well with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Place the chicken on the grill and cook for about 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until the chicken is browned and cooked through.
While the chicken is grilling, prepare the plum sauce.
Melt 2 tablespoon butter in a medium saucepan over moderately low heat. Seed and mince half of a jalapeno pepper. Add the pepper and ¼ cup minced red onion to the saucepan and cook until the onion and pepper are soft, about 5 minutes.
Cut 2 medium-sized plums (about 4 oz) each into ½-inch pieces and add it to the onion mixture.
Cook until the plums are soft and broken down. Add ¼ cup mango fruit spread and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard.
Cook on high heat until the mango spread melts.
Carefully pour the mixture into a food processor or blender.
Puree until the mixture is smooth.
Baste the chicken drumsticks with the plum puree.
Cook until the sauce is caramelized, about 5 minutes. Serve the chicken with the extra sauce.
While the chicken is grilling, prepare the plum sauce.
Melt 2 tablespoon butter in a medium saucepan over moderately low heat. Add the jalapeno pepper and minced red onion to the saucepan and cook until the onion and pepper are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped plums to the onion mixture. Cook until the plums are soft and broken down. Add the mango fruit spread and Dijon mustard. Cook on high heat until the mango spread melts. Carefully pour the mixture into a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
Chef E
Okay now this makes sense, as this must be the chicken I saw when looking at the brie post...and still this recipe for the chicken rocks...I will take this and some of the brie!
Tangled Noodle
The sweet, the savory and the spicy, all in one. Great combination of flavors!
outdoorgriller
Those drumsticks sound tasty. I like to put sauce on my grilled chicken too. If you would like to see the collection of tips and recipes I have for grilling you can visit http://www.cookingandgrillinoutdoors.com
Justine
This looks so finger-licking tasty!
The BBQ Grail
Wow! What a great recipe. Thanks.
tastyeatsathome
I love this idea! The combination is sure to be fresh and so tasty! I am gonna have to add plums to my grocery list.
Miranda
I added you to my bloglist...I love your site.
KrisKishere
I love sweet and spicy together! Looks delicious. Thanks for another fabulous recipe 🙂
Jenn
You've put this just in time for 4th of July. BBQ times are here. 😉 I love that plum-jalapeno sauce. That's a really neat idea.
Ruth
What a great idea! Bet they tasted gorgeous!
Cookin' Canuck
I'm glad this is an appealing combination to all of you. It really was delicious.
Miranda, you are too kind!
alwayswinner786
Great combo jalapeno and plum!
Delicious BBQ.I will try it this weekend.
Miranda
Wow. You impress me!!
I have jalapenos and plums and I would NEVER of thought of putting them together. You are a genius.
Thanks for sharing.
Mathilde
What a wonderful BBQ recipe, I now need to buy a BBQ!
VintageMixer
plumb and jalepeno- what a great combo!
Maria
The sauce sounds so good! Happy 4th to you!
CaptnRachel aka Tha Pizza Cutta
WOW. Love these flavors and you make it look so easy! Whoever gets to eat at your table regularly are lucky folk. 🙂