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Poached Prunes and Kumquats

I like to add ruby port wine to the prune poaching liquid, but you can use red wine, or simply water, if you prefer. Black currant tea is another popular liquid to poach prunes in. As mentioned above, you’re welcome to use pitted or unpitted prunes. If using unpitted prunes, you may want to alert guests to be aware of the presence of pits.

For the poached prunes

  • 2 cups (500ml) water
  • 1/2 cup (125ml) port wine
  • 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 thick slice of lemon
  • 20-25 prunes, (dried plums)

For the kumquats

  • 1 cup (250ml) water
  • 1/4 cup (50g) sugar
  • 15-20 kumquats, sliced and seeded
  • To poach the prunes, heat the water, port, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon slice together in a medium saucepan.
  • Add the prunes and cook at a gentle simmer for about 10 minutes, until the prunes are tender. If your prunes are large or quite dry, they make take longer.
  • Once the prunes are tender, remove the prunes from the heat.
  • To glaze the kumquats, bring the water, sugar, and 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, by the end of which time, the liquid will be reduced and syrupy. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Notes

Serving: Serve the prunes with a bit of their liquid in assiettes à soupe, deep-soup plates, with some of their liquid and kumquats strewn over the top. If you’d like, add a dollop of crème fraîche or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Storage: The prunes and kumquats can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week before serving. The prunes actually benefit from being cooked in advance, so feel free to prepare them a day or so before serving.