Stuffed Prunes Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Soak prunes in wine, if you wish, for as long as possible. Drain prunes, reserving wine. With a long sharp knife, make a slit in the center of the loin and stuff it with prunes (reserve prunes that won't fit into pork).
• In a large casserole heat butter. When foaming subsides add the onion or leek, celery and carrot. Cover and cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Remove them with a slotted spoon and reserve for later. Add vegetable oil to the casserole and heat. When hot, add the loin and brown on all sides, including the ends. When pork is browned, remove it to a plate. Discard all fat from the casserole, but leave behind any drippings. Return cooked vegetables to the bottom of the casserole. Add the meat on top and add any prunes which didn't fit into the loin.
• Cover loin with reserved white wine you soaked the prunes in, broth, bay leaf and garlic. Put a lid on casserole and set in oven. Cook for 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours or until pork juices run a clear yellow (difference in time depends on how thick the loin is; internal temp is 165 degrees). Remove casserole from oven and remove the pork and let rest while you make the sauce. Strain the juices into a "degreasing" cup or heat-resistant cup. Discard aromatic vegetables and prunes. The fat will rise above the juices; discard it. Return juices to casserole and boil down until thickened. Finish with a tablespoon of butter or not as you wish. Slice pork into thin slices, serve with saffron rice, sugar snap peas and spoon sauce over the top.

Steps:

• For the Stuffed Prunes.
• 1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 Degrees F.
• 2. With scissors, cut small piece off of each pitted prune to allow for
• stuffing. Arrange the prunes in a baking dish and prepare the sauce.
• 3. In food processor, mix the cheeses and nuts together to the
• consistency of a smooth paste.
• 4, Stuff the mixture into the pitted prunes.
• For the Red Wine Sauce.
• 1. Thoroughly mix the minced garlic, maple syrup or honey, soy sauce and vinegar. Add enough Merlot to sauce mixture so when poured over prunes, red wine sauce goes 1/4 way up the prunes in baking pan.
• 2. Bake in pre-heated oven for approximately 15-20 minutes.
• Baste the prunes occasionally to keep them from drying out. Serve as a side dish with fish, beef, pork or chicken!

Steps:

• Coat a large saute pan lightly with olive oil. Add the bacon and bring the pan to a medium heat. When the bacon is crispy and has released a lot of fat, add the onions and season with salt. Cook the onions until they are soft and aromatic, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the apples, prunes, and half the chopped rosemary. Cook the apples, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften, about 5 minutes. Pull the pan off the heat and add the brandy. Return to the fire and flambe, or let the alcohol just burn off. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• Lay out a length of plastic wrap about 2-feet in length. Spoon the apple mixture onto the plastic and make a log down the center that is about the same length as the pork loin. Roll the plastic tightly around the apple mixture and twist at the ends to secure. The log should be about 1- inch in diameter. Place the log in the freezer and let it freeze solid. This can and should be done ahead of time.
• To stuff the pork: Insert a long, thin knife into the center of one end of the pork loin; repeat this process at the other end. Wiggle the knife back and forth to create a place big enough to accommodate your frozen stuffing log. After cutting with the knife, you can use the handle of a long wooden spoon to make sure the incision goes all the way through the pork loin.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Get the stuffing log from the freezer and remove the plastic wrap. Slide the stuffing log through the pork loin - it might need a little encouragement but it should go the length of the loin. Season the outside of the pork generously with salt and sprinkle it with the remaining chopped rosemary.
• Coat a roasting pan with olive oil and bring the pan to a high heat. Add the pork to the pan and sear it on all sides until it is brown.
• Remove the pork to a plate and ditch the fat in the roasting pan. Add the pork back to the pan pour in the chicken stock. Place it in the oven for 25 to 35 minutes, depending on how you like your pork. I personally like it pinker and would remove it from the oven when a meat thermometer reaches 130 degrees F. Turn it over halfway through the cooking time. Remove it from the oven, cover it with foil, and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine the prunes with enough water to cover them by 1/4-inch. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the port and bring back up to the boil. Immediately reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain the prunes, coarsely chop, and set them aside. Reserve the liquid. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the pine nuts, stirring frequently for 1 or 2 minutes, until golden. Add the prunes and the remaining 1/4 cup of port to the pan. Continue cooking and stirring until the liquid is reduced to a glaze. Stir in the salt and pepper and cool to room temperature. Cut horizontally into the edges of the pork chops almost to the bones to create a pocket for the stuffing. Stuff the chops loosely (if there is leftover stuffing reserve it for the sauce).
• Secure the edges of each chop with 2 toothpicks. Season the chops generously with salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 350 and place a roasting pan in it to heat it up. Heat a large, heavy and well-seasoned skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Sear the chops for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Transfer the chops to the pan in the oven and finish cooking them for about 20 minutes, until the chops are done through. Meanwhile, add the oil to the skillet which you used to sear the pork. Over medium-low heat, saute the shallots for 6 to 8 minutes, until translucent. Add the port, beef broth, and the reserved prune-cooking liquid to the pan and, if there was any filling leftover after stuffing the chops, add it now. Increase the heat to high and reduce the liquid, uncovered, until it is thickened and saucy, stirring frequently. Stir in the butter and lemon juice until the butter is completely absorbed. Serve the chops immediately, spooning the sauce over the top.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Clean pork loin removing any excess fat. butterfly the pork loin (1/2-inch thick). Lay the pork, cut-side up, season with salt and pepper, and rub liberally with the apricot chutney.
• Place a layer of apricots and prunes on the flattened loin. Roll tightly and tie with twine at 1/2-inch intervals. Place the pork in a roasting pan fitted with a rack and season with salt and pepper. Roast until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 to 150 degrees F, about 15 minutes per pound. Transfer the pork to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Steps:

• Two days in advance, place prunes in a bowl, add Armagnac, cover and refrigerate.
• Make a deep cut lengthwise down the middle of the pork. Spread meat out flat, like a book. Season with salt and pepper. Drain prunes well, reserving Armagnac for another use. Place prunes in double layer down the center of the pork. Close meat over them and tie at 1 1/2-inch intervals with butcher's cord. Dust with salt and pepper.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a large heavy skillet or casserole, preferably enameled cast iron, add duck fat or oil. Sear meat over medium-high heat until lightly browned on all sides. Remove meat. Reduce heat to low, add carrot, onion and garlic and cook until softened but not brown. Add wine and reduce by half. Stir in tomatoes, thyme and bay leaf. Return meat to pan, add veal stock, bring to a simmer and place pan in oven.
• Cook 30 minutes, basting every 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees, turn meat and continue cooking about one hour longer, basting every 10 to 15 minutes. Add water as needed to keep one inch of liquid in pan.
• Remove from oven. Place meat on cutting board, and tent with foil to keep warm. Gently simmer liquid in pan 5 minutes or so, then force through a sieve into a saucepan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Slice pork and arrange on platter. Reheat sauce, spoon a little over the meat and pass the rest alongside.