Somebody gave me a big ol’ bag of prunes in a Ziploc freezer bag. They’re in my freezer now. What can I make with 'em?
Tarts? Pastries? I suppose. But isn’t there something like a sauce or a marinade or something more suppery than desserty I could make?
Tsimmes would be suppery, and there are Armenian/mid eastern dishes that could utilise; both pilavs and lamb stews. You could make a conserve to accompany mahdsoon.
Something else to consider having such bounty is using the prunes as a fat replacement in baking.My go-to recipe for this situation would be a lamb and prune tagine. (You can leave out the almonds and sesame seeds, and it’s still yummy.) And if you should ever find yourself with a big bag of apricots instead of prunes, you can use those.
Or you could just thaw 'em and eat 'em like candy.
“Are three enough? Is six too many?” And can you believe there was a time when we ate so little “roughage” that such a question would come up on a commercial for prunes?
I’ve never tried it, but this Caramelized Chicken from Chocolate & Zucchini looks amazing.
Short ribs.
It’s a great cut of meat: it’s usually cheaper than the good steaks (though the price is coming up as it’s becoming trendy), it’s pretty easy to find, and it’s incredibly tasty. You just have to cook them correctly. And that means long, low, and slow. Season and briefly sear the meat, and then reduce the heat and cook it in a flavorful bath for like two hours. It will absorb all your flavors and come out extremely tender.
Take a look at this recipe or this one or this one to get the general idea. Look also at this one, which doesn’t mention prunes specifically, but which should help you understand the general approach.
It’s an extremely forgiving way to cook the meat; you don’t have to follow the recipes slavishly (and you don’t need a pressure cooker, either, as named in the second recipe). Just brown your ribs, throw a bunch of tasty shit into the pot, and cook for a while. In the meantime, make rice or potatoes and a steamed veggie. Piece of cake.
If you can’t find ribs, you can also use brisket or some other low-and-slow cut of beef, or lamb as mentioned above. But personally, I’d start with the ribs.
Simmer some in water with some grapes to make a warm sauce to pour over ice cream.