Prunes have a bad press in the UK, with a queasy laxative association that doesn’t do justice to these wrinkly preserved plums.
The fruit is grown specifically to be preserved, so they’re a unique ingredient – the plums aren’t meant to be eaten while fresh. Agen prunes are thought to be the best variety. They’re grown in the gastronomic high ground that is south-west France. Plump, sweet, inky rich and unctuous, they’re the Formula 1 of all dried fruits and best enjoyed just as they are.
For day-in-day-out prune consumption, Californian prunes are wonderful: succulent and with terrific flavour, they are a constant on my kitchen shelves, no matter the time of year.
How to plump your prunes
1 litre freshly boiled water
500g large prunes, stoned
1 In a clean container, pour the boiled water over the prunes, cool and seal, keeping the container in the fridge. The prunes are ready to use whenever – the plumper the better.
2 For plumped prunes with a difference, follow the recipe above, adding a couple of earl grey teabags to the boiled water for extra depth of flavour. Remove the tea bags when the desired taste is achieved. Reserve the liquid, but keep the tea flavour in mind when using it in the future. Alternatively, add bay leaves, star anise, cloves or cinnamon along with the prunes and water.
1 The light lunch: Prune, thyme and shallot tarte tatin (pictured above)
They may have a tricky reputation, but a tarte tatin is anything but difficult. This savoury version, with prunes and shallots, is a worthy centrepiece. Serve with sharply simply dressed with a little.
Serves 4
30ml olive oil
20 whole shallots, peeled and trimmed
1 tbsp sugar
50g butter, plus extra to grease the pan
1 tbsp of thyme leaves
25ml red wine or balsamic vinegar
15 softened prunes, drained
1 sheet of readymade puff pastry
1 Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Add the oil and shallots to a heavy-based saucepan over a moderate heat. Fry until the shallots begin to caramelise, turning golden brown in patches: about 6–8 minutes should do the trick.
2 Add the sugar to the pan. Continue to cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring often, lest the sugar catches and burns.
3 Add the butter and thyme leaves to the pan, then cook for another 5–8 minutes until the shallots have a rich, deep caramel colour.
4 Add the vinegar. Continue to cook the shallots over a low heat for about 20 minutes, until totally soft. Remove from the heat and allow them to cool completely.
5 Add the prunes to the shallot mix.
6 In a frying pan that will house the shallot and prune mix, and also fit in the oven, add the extra butter, greasing the pan all over. Arrange the shallots, prunes and cooking juices in the pan, distributing the mix evenly.
7 Lay the puff pastry over the contents of the pan, cutting off any excess, but leaving enough trim to tuck snugly around the shallot mixture and the inside of the rim of the frying pan.
8 Bake in a hot oven until the pastry is crisp and golden: about 12–15 minutes.
9 With a knife, loosen any edges of the pastry from the pan while it is still hot. Quickly and carefully turn the tart upside down on to a plate.
10 Serve still warm from the oven with a simple green salad.
2 The sexy snack: Prune, star anise and chocolate brownies
The prunes and star anise bring a perfect synergy. Cut into slices, this brownie is studded throughout with an enticing thwack of anise.
Makes approx 16 squares
150g dark cooking chocolate
150g unsalted butter
3 eggs
100g caster sugar
100g muscovado sugar
1 tsp ground star anise
100g plain flour
½ tsp salt
125g softened prunes, drained and roughly chopped
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4 and grease and line a 20cm-square, deep-sided cake tin.
2 Melt the butter with the chocolate in a bowl suspended over a saucepan of simmering water (alternatively, use short, sharp bursts in a microwave).
3 In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, sugars and anise together until the mixture is creamy and thick. Mix the melted chocolate and butter into the egg and sugar mixture.
4 Sift the flour and salt into the chocolate mixture. Beat together briefly until smooth. Fold in the prunes.
5 Pour the mixture into the tin and bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes. Be sure to not overcook the brownie. It should be just firm to the touch and still gooey inside.
6 Leave them to cool in the tin before cutting them into squares.
3 The showstopping supper: Pork cooked with prunes, quatre épices and bay leaves
A knockout wintertime supper. A classic French herb-spice combo flavours the pork with prunes, bay leaves and quatre épices (spice mix of ground pepper, cloves, nutmeg and ginger). Serve with mashed potato or soft polenta and a pile of boiled greens dressed with a little butter.
Serves 6
1.2kg of 5cm diced, boneless pork (shoulder or collar)
4-6 tbsp olive oil
3 onions, finely diced
4 fresh bay leaves
4 garlic cloves, whole and skin on
1 tsp quatre épices
150-200g softened prunes, drained
Salt, to taste
50ml single or double cream (optional)
1 Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/gas mark 3. Add the oil to an ovenproof pan. Season the pork with salt, then fry over a high to moderate heat to brown for 1-2 minutes.
2 Turn the heat down a fraction, then add the onions, bay leaves and whole garlic. Continue to cook for around 10 minutes, or until the onions are soft and the meat has evenly browned. Towards the end, add the spice mix. Stir to evenly coat the meat with the spices.
3 Add the prunes and 175ml cold water, or white wine if you’d prefer. Bring to a gradual simmer, place the lid on the pan and continue to cook in the oven for about 1–1½ hours. Towards the end of the cooking time, add the cream if using. The meat should be tender and the prunes bloated with the rich meat and spice juices.
4 The overnight sensation: Prunes and bircher muesli
Overnight oats: a brilliant breakfast option. With the bircher already made and in the fridge and topped with the freshly plumped prunes, I don’t suppose there is a speedier more delicious alternative. Mix and match: add various nuts, seeds, extra grated apple and/or alternative fruit.
Serves 4
400g rolled oats
700ml liquid, such as milk, apple juice, water or nut milk
8-12 softened prunes, roughly chopped if you like, and some of their liquid
4 tbsp Greek yoghurt
A handful of toasted hazelnuts, chopped (optional)
A handful of mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, chia etc) (optional)
1 Put the oats in a deep-sided container and pour the liquid over the top. Next, cover and put in the fridge for a couple of hours minimum – but overnight brings better results.
2 To serve, spoon the bircher into individual bowls, then top with a spoonful or so of the prunes and their juices and a large dollop of plain Greek yoghurt. Scatter with nuts and seeds, if using. The bircher will last very well in the fridge for three days.
• Regular columnist Claire Thomson is a Bristol-based chef, food writer and the author of The Five O’Clock Apron (Ebury Press)
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One batch of prunes, four different recipes
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