Equipment
Ingredients
Poaching Liquid
- 300 ml dry red wine
- 100 ml water
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 1 lemon
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
Fruit
- 300 g pitted prunes, whole
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Using a vegetable peeler, carefully remove wide strips of zest from the lemon, avoiding the bitter white pith. Halve the lemon and juice one half to yield about 15ml of juice. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds.
In a medium saucepan, combine the red wine, water, granulated sugar, lemon peel, vanilla bean pod, and vanilla seeds. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a rolling boil, reaching approximately 100C/212F. Stir occasionally until the sugar is fully dissolved.
Add the pitted prunes to the boiling liquid. Reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer at around 85C/185F. Cook the prunes until they are plump and tender but still holding their shape.
Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the plumped prunes from the saucepan and transfer them to an airtight glass container. Turn the heat back up to medium-high and reduce the remaining liquid by half, until it thickens into a light syrup.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Discard the vanilla pod and lemon peels. Stir the reserved lemon juice into the syrup to brighten the flavor. Pour the hot syrup over the reserved prunes and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, around 20C/68F, before serving or storing.
Chef's Notes
- For the best flavor profile, select a dry, fruit-forward red wine like Pinot Noir, Grenache, or a lighter Merlot. Avoid heavily oaked or overly tannic varieties, which can become astringent when reduced.
- While these are delicious immediately after cooling, poached prunes benefit immensely from resting overnight in the refrigerator. The extended maceration allows the wine, vanilla, and lemon to penetrate the fruit fully.
- Save any leftover poaching syrup once the prunes are gone. It makes a phenomenal drizzle for morning oatmeal, a sweetener for winter cocktails, or a topping for dairy-free vanilla desserts.
- If substituting vanilla extract for the vanilla bean, stir it into the syrup off the heat at the very end. Boiling extract causes its volatile aromatic compounds to evaporate quickly.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 weeks — Store in an airtight container, ensuring the prunes are fully submerged in the syrup.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze in a freezer-safe container with at least 2cm headspace for expansion.
Reheating: Can be served chilled, at room temperature, or gently warmed on the stovetop over low heat.
