Braised Carrots With Dried Plums Prunes Recipes

BRAISED CARROTS WITH DRIED PLUMS (PRUNES)

Steps:

• Cut the prunes in half, and cut the carrots into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
• In a 3-qt. saucepan, combine all ingredients. Heat to boiling on high. Reduce heat to medium; simmer, stirring occasionally, 15-20 minutes or until liquid evaporates and carrots are glazed. Serve at once.

SLOW-COOKED LAMB WITH PRUNES AND DRIED APRICOTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 250 degrees. In 7-quart flameproof casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat, heat vegetable oil until hot but not smoking. Sprinkle salt and pepper generously over lamb shanks. Working in batches if necessary to keep them from touching during the initial searing, add shanks to pan (they should sizzle the moment they hit the pan). Cook lamb shanks until well browned on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes each side. Set browned lamb aside in a large bowl.
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add the sumac, and stir to combine; set the mixture aside.
• Add onion to the casserole, and cook over medium heat until softened and golden, 5 to 10 minutes. Add reserved stock mixture, apricot nectar, cinnamon stick, cloves, allspice, parsley, cilantro, tarragon, mint, and paprika; stir to combine.
• Return the reserved browned lamb shanks to the casserole. Place over medium-high heat, and bring the liquid in the casserole to a boil. Cover the pan, and transfer the casserole to the oven. Cook the mixture until the meat is tender, about 2 hours. Check the casserole in the oven occasionally to ensure a gentle simmer of the sauce, adjusting the heat of the oven or the height of the oven rack as necessary. The actual cooking time will vary depending on the size of the lamb shanks you started with. The meat should be very tender but should not fall off the bone, yet. Add the dried apricots, prunes, and chopped red bell pepper to the casserole, and continue to cook in the oven until the fruit has softened, about 1/2 hour more.
• Remove the cooked lamb shanks, apricots, prunes, and bell pepper from the casserole, and place them in the bowl with the lamb. Cover them with aluminum foil to keep warm, and set aside.
• Place the casserole over medium heat, and simmer until the liquid is thickened and reduced, about 15 minutes. Return the reserved lamb shanks, apricots, prunes, and bell pepper to the casserole just long enough to heat them through again, and stir them lightly to coat them with the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Serve lamb shanks and sauce with couscous with mint and lemon.

THE BEST BRAISED CHICKEN WITH DRIED PLUMS

Steps:

• In a heavy pot or skillet (with a lid), heat oil over medium-high.
• Season chicken with salt & pepper. Cook in 2 batches until browned, 8-9 minutes, flipping once. Transfer to a plate.
• To pot, add onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until onion begins to brown, 5-7 minutes. Reduce heat if necessary.
• Add flour, cook, stirring, 1 minute.
• Add wine and chicken along with any accumulated juices.
• Add bay leaves (if using).
• Cover and cook until chicken is opaque throughout, 8-10 minutes (or thirty if your pan sucks too!). Stir in prunes.
• If you prefer the sauce to be less watery, remove lid, and continue to cook on medium heat until the sauce reduces to the desired consistency.
• Remove bay leaves, and serve with polenta or mashed potatoes to catch the savory sauce.

BEEF BRISKET BRAISED WITH DRIED FRUIT, YAMS AND CARROTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Heat oil in heavy large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until beginning to brown, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon paprika, allspice and crushed red pepper and stir 20 seconds. Add chicken stock, wine and bay leaves. Boil 10 minutes to blend flavors.
• Sprinkle brisket with paprika and rub in. Add brisket to pot, fat side up. Add dried apricots and pitted prunes. Cover and bake 1 1/2 hours.
• Add yams and carrots to pot. Cover and cook until brisket is very tender, about 2 1/2 hours longer. Remove from oven and let stand 20 minutes. Remove brisket from pot and slice thinly across grain. Arrange on platter. Degrease pan juices. Spoon pan juices over meat. Arrange fruit and vegetables around meat. Garnish with minced fresh parsley and serve. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate before slicing meat. To serve, remove meat from pot and slice thinly across grain. Remove any solid fat from sauce. Return sliced meat to pot. Place pot in 325°F oven and bake until brisket is heated through, about 30 minutes.)

BRAISED MOROCCAN-STYLE LAMB WITH DRIED PRUNES, ALMONDS AND APRICOTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lay the lamb out, skin side down, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper and the thyme. Roll and tie well with butcher's string. Sprinkle the outside with 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large oven-proof casserole. Add the lamb and brown on all sides. Remove lamb from pot. Add remaining tablespoon oil. Stir in onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining teaspoon cumin, the rosemary and the red wine. Bring to a boil and cook about 3 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon and scraping browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Stir in the stock, tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Return the lamb to the pot, cover, place in the oven and bake until meat is almost tender, about 1 hour.
• Remove the casserole from the oven and take out the meat. Remove the vegetables from the pot with a slotted spoon and place them in a blender. Blend until smooth. Scrape the mixture back into the pot and stir well. Place over medium heat and cook about 5 minutes to thicken slightly. Return the meat to the sauce and surround with the almonds, prunes and apricots. Cover and bake until meat is very tender and fruit is soft, about 15 minutes.
• Remove lamb from the pot, cut and remove string and cut lamb into thin slices. If sauce is too thick, thin with a little additional broth. Divide the lamb among 8 plates and spoon some sauce over the top. Serve immediately, passing any remaining sauce separately.