Black Gold Of Aquitaine: 7 Unusual Plum Dishes

2023 Author: Amber Richards | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-22 00:24

In order for the plum to become juicy, fleshy and sweet, you need a lot of sun and earth, well watered and aerated. Dressed in purple, with shades of blue and violet, plum from time immemorial, chose the valleys of Lot and the banks of the Garonne, where by crossing two types of plum trees - one Gascon, the other Syrian (brought from the Crusades) received a miracle: a fruit that dries in the sun, remains soft and melts in the mouth.

Today, plums are harvested from mid-August to mid-September, using a device that shakes the trees, forcing them to drop ripe fruits to the ground. Then the plums are sorted, washed, laid out on wickers and sent to a drying oven for dehydration, where they are monitored, like milk on a stove, since the residual moisture level should not be less than 23% - this is the most optimal level to preserve the taste. Plums transform under the influence of heat. After 24 hours, a dried fruit with a delicate pulp - prunes - appears. In natural form, or stuffed, or in the form of a paste, or in the form of syrup - prunes have become the star of recipes celebrating the "black gold of Aquitaine". Its delicate taste adorns any of the dishes.

Watercress with prunes, fleeting cheese and pecan

Preparation: 15 minutes

Serves four: a bunch of watercress, 200 g pitted prunes, 150 g aged fleeting cheese (can be substituted with edam cheese), can with caraway seeds, 75 g pecans

For refueling: 3 tbsp. l. sunflower oil, 3 tbsp. l. hazelnut or walnut oil, 2 tbsp. l. apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper to taste

Wash and dry the watercress. Slice the fleeting into thin ribbons with a paring knife. Cut the prunes in half. In a skillet, fry the nuts until golden brown for three minutes, stirring constantly. Prepare the dressing in the salad bowl. Add watercress, prunes and fleeting. Sprinkle with nuts.

Plum punta pie

Test preparation: 25 minutes

Roasting: 50 minutes

Serves four: 300 g minced meat, 200 g frozen spinach leaves, 1/3 of a three-day baguette, 200 ml milk, 1 onion, 12 pitted prunes, 1 spoonful of thyme, 2 eggs, 1 bunch of dill, salt, ground pepper

Defrost the spinach and squeeze on a napkin to remove as much water as possible. Cut the baguette into pieces and place in a bowl, cover with hot milk. Peel and chop the onion. Wash and chop the dill. Add minced meat, onion, dill, spinach and thyme to a bowl. Mix well, add eggs one at a time, salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 210 ° C. Transfer the mixture to a muffin or cake pan. Press the prunes into the dough. Bake at 210 ° C for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 180 ° C and cook for another 40 minutes.

Pork fillet mignon with plums and apples

Preparing ingredients: 15 minutes

Cooking: 40 minutes

For four servings: a piece of pork fillet mignon, 250 g of prunes with seeds, 250 ml of prune syrup, 4 hard apples, 4 tbsp. l. sunflower oil, 50 g butter, 1/2 tsp. ground ginger, cinnamon stick, 1 tsp. Jamaican pepper (whole), salt, ground pepper.

Preheat oven to 200 ° C. Peel the apples, keeping the fruit intact. In a saucepan, fry the fillets (about 5 minutes on each side) until golden brown. Place the meat on a baking sheet along with the apples and prunes. Salt, pepper, add herbs. Pour the prune syrup into a saucepan and simmer to one third, stirring with a wooden spatula. Pour juice over the contents of a baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes. Sprinkle syrup on the meat occasionally during baking.

Gorgonzola mascarpone appetizer with prunes

Preparation: 20 minutes

For a dozen servings: 200 g of gorgonzola cheese, 150 g of pitted prunes, 2 tbsp. l. mascarpone cheese, ground pepper, thyme or rosemary sprigs for garnish

Cut the prunes in half and mix with the mascarpone and pepper. Cut the gorgonzola into 5mm thick slices and place half in a rectangle shape on plastic wrap. Top with the prune mixture and cover with the gorgonzola slices. Squeeze the resulting sandwich well and put it in the refrigerator for an hour. Then take out the sandwiches and cut them into circles or squares. Decorate with herbs.

Cheesecake with prunes and orange

Test preparation: 20 minutes

Roasting: 1 hour 15 minutes

You will need a sliding form with a diameter of 18-20 cm

Cheesecake base: 150 g orange muffins (nonnette d'orange) or plain shortbread, 40 g melted butter, 25 g brown sugar. For the filling: 750 g of soft cheese (for example, "Philadelphia"), 3 eggs, 120 g of sugar, 1 tbsp. l. flour, 100 g sour cream, half a vanilla pod, 1 small orange, 12 prunes, 2 tbsp. l. Armagnac or Grand Marnier liqueur.

Place muffins or cookies, butter and brown sugar in a blender bowl and blend in short bursts for a few seconds until you get a mixture that looks like coarse sand. Line the sides of the baking dish with wax paper. Use your fingers or a spatula to spread the mixture over the mold and refrigerate while you cook the filling. Preheat oven to 130 ° C. Squeeze the juice out of the orange and grate 1 tsp. zest. Combine the cheese, eggs, sour cream, sugar, flour, juice and orange zest in a blender bowl. Slice the vanilla pod lengthwise, chop the contents and add to the mixture along with the armagnac. Whisk until smooth. Place the mixture on the cheesecake base, press the prunes on top, bake on the bottom shelf of the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes. The top should not be baked until golden brown. Let the cheesecake cool in the oven.then leave in the refrigerator overnight so that you can remove it from the mold without damaging it.

Yogurt with prunes, muesli and pomegranate

Cooking: 10 minutes

Per serving: 2 tbsp. l. muesli with nuts or red berries; 1 pomegranate; 1 jar of natural yogurt; 5 soft pitted prunes

Cut the skin of the pomegranate crosswise, remove the seeds and place them in a bowl. Cut the prunes into four parts. Layer yogurt, muesli, prunes and pomegranate in a glass.

Pudding with prunes and caramel

Cooking time: 15 min.

Baking: 30 min.

For four servings: 180 g of prune paste; 100 g of water; 175 g flour; 2 eggs; 2 coffee spoons of baking soda; 1 tsp yeast for baking; 50 g of softened slightly salted butter + 25 g for greasing the mold; 75 g sugar

For the sauce: 200 g whole cream; 70 g brown sugar; 200 g prune syrup

For serving: thick sour cream

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the prune syrup to a boil until the volume is reduced by two-thirds (about five minutes). Add brown sugar and cream and bring to a simmer again, simmer for five minutes to form a thick sauce. Combine flour, yeast and baking soda. In a bowl, beat the butter and sugar until a light mixture is obtained, add eggs one at a time and beat well again. Add prune syrup and water and stir without whipping. Pour the mixture into a greased dish or small molds. Bake for 45 minutes (20 minutes for small cakes). Serve warm with hot sauce and fresh sour cream.