Plum and Ginger Cobbler

Ingredients

• For the fruit base:
• 2 pounds ripe plums, sliced into eighths
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3/4 cup turbinado sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 5 star anise petals
• 5 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• For the biscuit topping:
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 6 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes and chilled
• Up to 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chilled buttermilk

Directions

1. Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat it to 425 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the plums, ginger, and cornstarch, turning everything until evenly coated. Spoon the fruit into a 10-inch cast iron or non-stick skillet, then stir in the sugar, salt, anise, and cardamom. Pour in 1/4 cup water and warm the skillet over medium heat until the mixture starts to simmer. Turn the heat down so it bubbles gently, and cook until a spoon dragged across the pan leaves a visible path on the bottom, about 15 minutes. Fish out the star anise and cardamom pods and throw them away.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Drop in the butter, then rub it through the flour, flattening the cubes between your fingertips and thumb into long, thin pieces as you go. Once the mixture looks coarse and meal-like, add 1/2 cup buttermilk and mix with your hands until the dough gathers into a cohesive mass when you press it. If the dough needs it, work in as much as 2 tablespoons more buttermilk. Go gently here; don't knead the dough more than necessary.
3. Shape the dough into 2-tablespoon balls, using either a portion scoop or a large spoon, and set them on top of the fruit. Leave 1/2 inch between the dough balls. Move the skillet to the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the biscuits are lightly browned and a knife poked inside them does not meet gooey dough. Before serving, let the cobbler sit for at least 1/2 hour so the fruit base has time to set.