Smoked prunes

Ștefan Baciu, 01.01.1970, 02:00

People have been cooking with prunes in Eastern Europe for centuries, and it is a staple of fasting in the Orthodox tradition.

To make such a dish, popular in Romanian monasteries, taken one kilo of smoked prunes, two onions, a cup of rice, oil, a pinch of salt and one of sugar. Set the prunes in cold water over low heat until they come to a boil, then add the rice and the finely chopped onion. Simmer everything, making sure that the prunes stay whole. At the end add the oil, salt and sugar. If you want a nicer colour, you can actually mash a prune or two and mix it into the dish.

If, however, you want a fuller meal, one excellent suggestion is prune stuffed roast chicken. Take a whole chicken, about a quarter of a kilogram, or half a pound, of pitted smoked prunes, a few mushrooms, a carrot, a green pepper and one onion. Also you will need a few cloves of garlic, a bunch of green parsley, salt and pepper. Sautee the finely sliced onion, add the finely sliced mushrooms, the green pepper cut into small squares, and the shredded carrot. Sautee on low heat for about 10 minutes, then add the smoked prunes for a few minutes. Rub the chicken with oil, salt and pepper on both the inside and the outside. Stuff it with the sautéed vegetables, then, if any stuffing is left, put it in the oven tray you will be using for roasting. Add a cup of water, then set into the oven for three quarters of an hour, until the chicken is perfectly roasted. Use the stuffing as a side dish for the pieces of chicken you will be serving.

Enjoy!