Cantaloupe Sauce – Sybaritica

This Cantaloupe Sauce has the same sweet, sour, and slightly spicy flavors of a Chinese restaurant Plum Sauce, or Duck Sauce, and it is easy to make.

• 1 small Cantaloupe peeled, de-seeded, and diced;
• 1 small Onion chopped;
• 20 Garlic Cloves;
• ¼ cup Ginger Paste;
• 1 Tbsp. Salt;
• ½ tsp. each powdered Cinnamon and Clove;
• 1 cup each of Sugar and Vinegar;
• ¼ cup coarsely ground Chili
• 3 – 4 Tbsp. Lemon juice or to taste;

• Add the chopped onion and the garlic cloves to the bowl of a food processor along with the ginger paste and salt. Whiz everything to a puree, adding a little water to keep the blades turning if necessary.
• Heat a little oil in a deep pot over medium heat and add the onion paste along with the powdered spices. Saute for a minute or two to allow the flavors to blend.
• Add the cantaloupe, the sugar, the vinegar and the chili and turn the heat to low. Cook everything at a low simmer for an hour or so, adding a little water from time to time if the mix looks a little dry.
• When the cantaloupe is soft and breaking down, purée until smooth. Taste the blend, adjusting for salt, sweet and sourness and, if necessary, cook the mix down a little longer until the consistency is like that of an apple sauce.
• Cool and transfer to suitable jars for refrigeration as is, or, if desired, ass the purée through a fine strainer to produce a smoother sauce.