Thursday, March 5, 2009

good night, sweet prunes

Steeped in tea, sweetened a tad, and put to rest with a kiss of mandarin orange peel.
I'll see you in the morning.Oolong-Steeped Prunes with Mandarin Orange Peel
(inspired by the recipe for Masala Chai Poached Prunes found over at In Praise of Sardines and by Judy Rodger's recipe in the ever-tempting Zuni Cafe Cookbook)
Ingredients:

8 oz. pitted prunes
1 cup water
A scant tablespoon of oolong tea leaves
Several bits of dried Mandarin orange peel (I used about six - 1/2 to 1 inch pieces)
A scant tablespoon of sugar

Bring the water to a simmer, pour over tea leaves and dried orange peel in a shallow dish. Steep for 10 minutes. Strain the tea leaves, reserving the liquid and removing the peels. Set peels aside and stir sugar into tea to dissolve. Place prunes in a jar, tucking in the reserved peel as well. Pour the tea over the prunes to just cover them. Cover and let cool. Let soak at least several hours, and store in the refrigerator.

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