Tea Poached Prunes & Kumquats

"Poached prunes are a delight to have in the fridge. I love them in simple syrup/sherry and in Armagnac with big curls of orange rind & cinnamon sticks.I was pleased to see this recipe in the Tribune Food & Drink Weekly Guide to add to my prune repertoire. Serve in a bowl with plenty of syrup, adorned with a dollop of thick yogurt or sour cream - a lovely treat or breakfast."
 
Download
photo by Ambervim photo by Ambervim
photo by Ambervim
Ready In:
35mins
Ingredients:
5
Serves:
4-8
Advertisement

ingredients

  • 12 cup sugar, divided
  • 2 tea bags, Earl Grey (black currant is also suggested)
  • 25 prunes (with pits if you find find them, hard to get nowadays)
  • 1 strip lemon zest, about 1/2 -inch-wide and 2 to 3 inches long (or orange)
  • 10 kumquats, sliced and seeded
Advertisement

directions

  • To poach the prunes, combine one-fourth cup of the sugar with 1 cup of water in a small saucepan, add the tea bags (sans tags) and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring so the sugar dissolves.
  • Add the prunes to hot tea syrup and steep with lid on for about 20 minutes until the prunes are tender. If your prunes are large or quite dry, they make take longer. Stir occasionally.
  • Once the prunes are tender allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Remove the tea bags and gently squeeze them to extract additional flavor before discarding them. Set aside the prunes (with their liquid).
  • To glaze the kumquats, bring 1 cup of water, the remaining one-fourth cup sugar and the kumquats to a boil in a small saucepan.
  • Reduce the heat to a gentle boil and cook for about 10 minutes, keeping an eye on them during the last few minutes as the liquid reduces and becomes syrupy. Cool to room temperature.
  • Serve the prunes with a bit of their liquid in deep soup plates, with kumquats strewn over the top.

Questions & Replies

Got a question? Share it with the community!
Advertisement

Reviews

  1. Growing up there was always a crock of stewed prunes and apricots in the fridge. They were for Mamaw when she visited. However, looking back, I think my mother was partial to them. The seemed to keep forever.<br/>I was glad to find this recipe as I have a bunch of calamondin (1st cousin to kumquat) I need to use. I didn't have plain sugar, so I used brown. I will post a pic after I finish. I really like the tart against the sweet. I can tell the tea does add flavor. I am not sure Earl Grey is needed, I think black tea would do just as well as the calamondin (kumquat) gives that note the bergamot would from the Earl Grey.<br/>I think I will serve this as a desert soon.
     
Advertisement

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

<p>First about Buster: Buster moved onto whatever comes next on February 26, 2008. He was just shy of five years old. I miss him terribly. <br />He came into our lives when he ran out in front of my car late one night as I was driving home. A just under 4 pound ball of kitten fluff, complete with an ostrich boa tail that stayed straight up as he assessed his new domain. He became a 19 pound longhaired beast who guarded our house (he followed any new guests or servicepeople the entire time they are on the property) &amp; even killed copperheads (among other things with his hunting buddy, Fergus the short-tailed)! Friends never saw his formidible side as he smiled at them &amp; uttered the most incongruent kitten-like mews as he threaded legs! He liked to ride in the car &amp; came to the beach. <br />There are Buster-approved recipes in my offerings - however, HE decided which he wanted to consider - Buster demonstrated he liked pumpkin anything - ALOT -LOL!!! <br /> <br />Copperhead count 2006 - Buster 2 <br /> (10 inchers w/yellow tails) <br /> 2007 - Buster &amp; Roxie 1 <br /> (a 24 incher!) <br />Buster woken from beauty sleep - <br />http://www.recipezaar.com/members/home/62264/DSCN0335.JPG <br />Big whiskers - <br />http://www.recipezaar.com/members/home/62264/DSCN0333.JPG <br /> <br />For those of you who gave kind condolences - thank you so very much. <br />http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=250301 <br /> <br /> <br />I love to cook &amp; incorporate techniques from Southern/Mid Atlantic roots (grits, eastern NC BBQ shoulders, Brunswick stew, steamed crabs &amp; shrimp &amp; shellfish, hushpuppies, cornbread, greens, shad roe, scrapple) with Pacific Rim foods &amp; techniques aquired while living in Pacific Northwest, fish &amp; game recipes learned while living in Rocky Mountain region &amp; foods/techniques learned travelling to the Big Island &amp; up into BC &amp; Alberta &amp; into the Caribbean. The Middle Eastern/African likes I have are remnants of my parents who lived for many years in North Africa &amp; Mediterranean before I was thought of. Makes for wide open cooking! <br /> <br />Since moving back east we try to go annually in the deep winter to Montreal (Old Montreal auberges &amp; La Reine) &amp; Quebec City (Winter Carnival &amp; Chateau Frontenac)- for unctuous foie gras &amp; real cheeses, French &amp; Canadian meals prepared &amp; served exquisitely, fantastic music &amp; wonderful people - with the cold helping burn off some of the calories! <br /> <br />I love putting in our aluminum jonboat &amp; heading across the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) to the barrier islands for foraging &amp; exploring! Bodysurfing is a lifelong sport for me - one that a person's body never seems to forget how to do, once the knack is learned (thank goodness!) <br /> <br />I especially miss cool summers &amp; foggy/drizzly days &amp; fall mushroom foraging/anytime of year hot springing in WA, OR, MT, ID, BC &amp; Alberta.</p>
 
View Full Profile
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Find More Recipes