Roasted Fillet with Chunky Plums

Stone fruit are in season all summer long so add a little zing to your festive table with Jenny Morris's succulent roasted beef fillet adorned with chunky plums.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1kg beef fillet trimmed
 Salt & pepper to taste
 2 tsp ground cumin
 300g firm, red, ripe plums

2 Tbsp olive oil
 2 Tbsp onion finely chopped
 1 clove of garlic, crushed
 1 tsp ginger, grated
 1 red chilli sliced
 3 Tbsp white sugar
 2 whole star anise
 200ml port
 ½ cup lemon juice
 Juice of 1 orange
 Zest of 1 orange
 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
 1 Tbsp soy sauce
 1 tsp sesame oil
 2 Tbsp of fresh coriander

First, get the sauce started. Stone and halve the plums.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli. Cook stirring for 2 minutes and then add the sugar and star anise.

Cook stirring until sugar dissolves and add a little port to prevent it from burning. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the remaining port, lemon juice, orange juice, balsamic vinegar and soy sauce.

Place the plums into the mixture and simmer gently until tender but not overcooked – about 8 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat, and remove the plums with a slotted spoon and set aside. Stir in the sesame oil, orange zest and coriander. Return the plums to the sauce.

To prepare the meat

Rub the fillet with olive oil and then season with salt, pepper and ground cumin.

Heat a frying pan until it is hot and then seal the meat on all sides until nice and brown. Roast in the oven at 180°C for 15 minutes.

Rest the fillet for 10 minutes and then slice the meat. Spoon over the plum sauce and serve.

Tip: this sauce is also delicious with pork, chicken, lamb, duck and ostrich.