Prune

About

French cuisine generally holds prunes in higher regard than British cuisine does, partly due to the well-regarded Agen prune, made from a specific plum variety called Ente. Compared to ordinary prunes, Agen prunes have finer skin, softer and juicier flesh, and a richer, fruitier flavor reminiscent of ripe berries. All prunes are notably sweet, with a much more concentrated flavor than fresh plum. They pair well with strongly flavored, salty foods, and also work well in simple cakes or tarts, especially those made with almond flour or frangipane, which echoes the prune's amaretto-like note.

Pairs well with prune

• CiLemonLemon juice can give prune a tamarind-like character; preserved lemon's salt, sourness and bitterness balance prune's sweetness well in…
• CiOrangeOrange zest commonly flavors dried fruit compotes, and prune and orange combine well in sticky loaf cakes and desserts.
• WoAlmondRemoving the pit from a prune also removes some of its flavor; prunes with pits left in, especially canned ones, develop a bitter-almond…
• SpCinnamonPrunes already carry a baking-spice character that cinnamon reinforces.
• FrAppleApple and prune is an underused pairing, the apple's brightness balances the prune's dense sweetness, and even a modest amount of prune…
• RoChocolateChocolate and prune rarely work well together on their own, as their flavors are too similar and intense, though brandy-soaked prunes are…
• CrCoconutA Brazilian classic: manjar de coco, a coconut blancmange of coconut milk, cream, grated coconut and sugar set with cornstarch, is served…
• EaMushroomDiced prunes stirred into a mushroom duxelles add extra richness and sweetness to the classic minced-mushroom preparation.
• ChCheesePrune's rich, fortified-wine-like sweetness pairs naturally with cheese, especially blue cheese.
• FfVanillaA dense prune compote works well under a vanilla custard of the type used for crème brûlée, without needing a burnt-sugar topping since…
• RoCoffeePoaching fruit in sweetened, diluted leftover coffee, a technique originally used for pears, works particularly well with prunes, whose…
• CrDateAn intense combination best used as one or the other, not together.
• FrPlumPrune is essentially plum's older, more concentrated self.
• EaChickpeaSaloradshrov siserapur, an Armenian soup, blends cooked chickpeas, part pressed through a strainer, with soaked, chopped prunes, dill and…
• GrFennelPrunes infused with fennel seed take on a flavor close to soft licorice, which harmonizes with their own molasses-like notes.
• BeCranberryRecommended by 19th-century food writer Ella Eaton Kellogg (wife of cereal pioneer Dr.
• WoOatWriter E.
• WoPecanPecan and prune are a milder echo of the classic date-and-walnut pairing, prune has a stronger flavor than date, and pecan lacks walnut's…
• GrGreen teaA classic pairing used to soak prunes for compotes and before pickling.
• SpBay leafBay leaf was once common in sweet dishes like rice pudding, a use that survives mainly in prune compote, where bay's spicy, nutmeg-like…
• SuLeekLeek and prune is an old combination, traditionally used in poultry or pork stuffing, with the prunes fried first to concentrate their…
• FfQuinceQuince and prunes can be cooked together with sugar and water into a compote; keeping the pits in the prunes is said to help them hold…
• FfElderflowerThe two appear together in a prune and elderflower compote from A.A.