Preheat the oven to 180°C. Pour 1 t olive oil into an ovenproof baking dish, add the plums and bake for 10 to 15 minutes – the ripeness and size of your plums will determine the baking time, so, once the skins have burst, you should keep an eye them.

Remove the plums from the oven when they are soft, but not collapsed, and have released some of their juices, then leave them for 5 minutes. Remove the plums from the baking dish and pour the pan juices – there should about ½ cup – into a jug.

Add the honey, salt and white balsamic vinegar to the pan juices and whisk vigorously. Add the remaining olive oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking all the while, until you have the consistency of a vinaigrette. Stir in the chopped tarragon, pour the vinaigrette over the plums and serve.

TASTE’s take:

Serve these plums with a few slices of salami, some rocket leaves and bread to mop up the juices.