Prunes in Armagnac

[lamb abbey orchards]

I was reading through the suggestions for new ice cream flavors and ran across someone's idea for Prune & Armagnac ice cream. It made me realize that I've got a rather large glass container full of dried organic plums that have been sitting in a high quality armagnac for the last two years. My ex said he loved them over vanilla ice cream, but I've yet to try them. I'm sure they're still quite good. I checked them a few minutes ago and they were all quite plump and smelled rather boozy. I think it's safe to say the plums are drunk. By the way, they've been kept in a cool dark space in the pantry, sealed for the last 24 months. I just broke the seal.

Aside from having them over ice cream, how else can they be used? Any suggestions?

John

P.S. I just Googled Prunes in Armagnac and found a wonderful page on The Splendid Table website, for anyone who may be interested: Prunes in Armagnac It recommends them not only over vanilla ice cream, but coffee as well. I think I may go with the latter. I'd love to hear any other recipes though. Thanks!

Edited May 9, 2006 by lamb abbey orchards (log)

[The Old Foodie]

Drain them well, dip in melted very good quality chocolate, have with coffee, or without coffee, or with friends, or on your own ....

Drink remaining armagnac.

Another idea: I did once put a jar of figs in a coffee liqueur that had been in my cupboard for about 2 years into a fruitcake. I poured more of the juice over the cake when it came out of the oven. It was very dark, very rich, very fruity and very moist. I think this would be a waste for the prunes in armagac though.

[curlywurlyfi]

Can't remember who (Nigella?) has a recipe for baked custard with armagnac prunes at the bottom of the ramekins - very good.

[Champagne Sadie]

Custard custard custard - made fresh naturally.

You lucky thing!!

[alanamoana]

bake them into a cake!

eta: like a financier with browned butter...in individual rings and push one prune into the batter and then bake

oh yeah, then drizzle the syrupy armagnac onto the cake when you eat it...it just gets better

Edited May 9, 2006 by alanamoana (log)

[Tess]

Stuff them with foie gras.

[dans]

Aside from having them over ice cream, how else can they be used?  Any suggestions?   

John

Tess is quite correct. They are great with Foie Gras. Either stuff them with the FG or saute the FG and server the prunes on the side using some of the Armagnac in the sauce (watch out for flame ups).

Other ideas, instead of the FG, cook up you favorite cut of steak and serve the prunes on the side.

Dan

[Sugarella]

I checked them a few minutes ago and they were all quite plump and smelled rather boozy.  I think it's safe to say the plums are drunk.  By the way, they've been kept in a cool dark space in the pantry, sealed for the last 24 months.  I just broke the seal. 

←

I went to the Splendid table site and checked the recipe.... unfortunately those need to be kept refridgerated. Yours.... were they comercially produced or did your ex make them himself? I'm familiar with canning and preserving.... assuming I can do this with straight armagnac and heat to seal as ususal?

[ludja]

The fois gras stuffed prunes are delicious.

The soaked prunes would probably work well in a version of Prune Cream Tart I've made from "The French Farmhouse Cookbook" by Susan Loomis.

Puree the ~ 1/2 of the drained prunes adding ~ 4 Tbs liquid to make a thick puree. The liquid could be a combination of water and the armagnac. Lightly sweeten with sugar to taste. Spread the filling into a pre-baked sablee tart shell and drizzle a spiral or other pattern of creme fraiche over the tart. It is simple but very good.

(The original recipe uses prunes plumped in warm water and then pureed w/some rum or brandy.)

Loomis also has a great appetizer in the same book--prunes stuffed with a good blue cheese and then warmed in an oven until the cheese just melts. These are served as hors d'oeuvres with chopped parsley on top. The slight sweetness of the prunes goes very well with the blue cheese. Maybe there is some type of salad or other prep that could incorporate both the soaked prunes and blue cheese.

A puree could also be used in crepe fillings' similar to a plum Powidl spread used in Austro-Hungarian Palatschinken (crepes).

A very interesting Austrian dessert is to make deep fried fritters of prunes stuffed with an almond. The warm fritters are then covered with chocolate shavings and served. (They're called "Schlosserbuam" or "Locksmith's Apprentices".) These might work well with the Armagnac prunes if they are well drained and dried a bit before dipping in the egg white-based fritter dough.

For savory applications I would consider incorporating it into a dish with pork. Maybe cut up and added to a gravy for a pork roast.

Or else pureed and added to some sort of stuffing for a pork loin. Gerald Hirogoyen, a great San Francisco Basque/French/California chef has a great signature dish with a type of pork confit. It is served with an apple-onion marmalade to which some sliced prunes have been added. (saute some apples and prunes in butter, add caramelized onion marmalade and finish with chicken or veal stock).

Edited May 9, 2006 by ludja (log)

[Tess]

Loomis also has a great appetizer in the same book--prunes stuffed with a good blue cheese and then warmed in an oven until the cheese just melts.  These are served as hors d'oeuvres with chopped parsley on top.  The slight sweetness of the prunes goes very well with the blue cheese.  Maybe there is some type of salad or other prep that could incorporate both the soaked prunes and blue cheese. 

I usually have some kind of brandy-soaked fruit in the house and the most common way we end up using them is to put a few on a dessert-type cheese tray. They do offset the blue cheeses very well. With some marcona almonds or other nuts-- delicious.

[nhconner]

I love to eat them with roast pork. Quite often I simmer some prunes in chicken stock and congac to serve with my roasted pork.

Nate

[Smithy]

I checked them a few minutes ago and they were all quite plump and smelled rather boozy.   I think it's safe to say the plums are drunk.   By the way, they've been kept in a cool dark space in the pantry, sealed for the last 24 months.   I just broke the seal.  

←

I went to the Splendid table site and checked the recipe.... unfortunately those need to be kept refridgerated. Yours.... were they comercially produced or did your ex make them himself? I'm familiar with canning and preserving.... assuming I can do this with straight armagnac and heat to seal as ususal?

←

The Splendid Table website recipe says they keep indefinitely. I didn't see anything about refrigeration.

[Anna N]

I love to eat them with roast pork.  Quite often I simmer some prunes in chicken stock and congac to serve with my roasted pork.

Nate

←

Now there's a lovely idea worthy of copying.

[lamb abbey orchards]

I went to the Splendid table site and checked the recipe.... unfortunately those need to be kept refridgerated. Yours.... were they comercially produced or did your ex make them himself? I'm familiar with canning and preserving.... assuming I can do this with straight armagnac and heat to seal as ususal?

←

Sugarella:

They weren't 'canned' in the way you'd can peaches or tomatoes. The prunes, sugar syrup and armagnac were heated as in the recipe, put into a large wide-mouthed sterile jar with a wire bale, and simple put on the shelf in a dark, cool pantry. We didn't bother refrigerating them because the prunes were completely covered with armagnac.

I had a few last night and they were quite wonderful.

John

[maher]

eat the prunes, drink the armagnac, sit back and marvel at all thats good in the world!!

[Dave Hatfield]

We traditionally have them (our homemade version) with our Thanksgiving or Charistmas turkey.

They go wonderfully with the whitemeat.