Pollo con Guindones

When I think of prunes, I think of “Over The Hill” birthday parties when the gag gifts include hemorrhoid cream, adult diapers and bags of prunes. To be truthful, I don’t know that I have ever actually eaten a prune, or more commonly referred to as a dried plum.

Prunes are considered one of the world’s healthiest foods and are said to be highly nutritious. They are a good source of vitamin A (in the form of beta carotene); a good source of potassium as well as a good source of dietary fiber. They help to stabilize blood sugar by delaying the absorption of glucose into the blood and they also help with iron absorption. They are often eaten for regularity, to aid in lowering cholesterol and for intestine protection. According to Sunsweet, prunes have an antioxidant score of 2428, much higher than blueberries at 1760.

I would never have considered using prunes in…well, anything really. But this recipe jumped out to me from one of my very favorite Peruvian Criolla chefs.

Prune Sauce Chicken
Adapted from Nuestros Grandes Chefs – Teresa Izquierdo
Serves 4

200 grams of seedless prunes
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup of white wine (I substituted with Peruvian Pisco)
1 tablespoon of lime juice
8 chicken thighs, seasoned with salt and pepper
1/2 cup of chicken broth
2 tablespoons of oil
1 medium onion, chopped

1. Place the prunes and the bay leaf in a small pot with enough water to cover them completely. Cook them with low heat for a few minutes or until the prunes are softened. Remove from the heat and drain. Add the white wine (or Pisco) and the lime juice to the prunes. Allow the mixture to cool, remove the bay leaf and then mash with a wooden spoon to create a paste or place the mixture in the blender to puree it.

2. Preheat oven to 350F. Heat oil in a skillet and add the chicken and cook for 6 minutes on each side. Remove and place in a glass baking dish (I used a 9x13) coated with cooking spray. Add the onion to the skillet and sauté until the onions are browned and softened. Add the prune mixture and the chicken broth; allowing the mixture to cook for 5 minutes, adding a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Pour the onion-prune mixture over the chicken. Cover with foil and bake at 350F for 45 minutes. Serve with white rice and boiled or baked potatoes.

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Prune Sauce Chicken is being served up for Waiter, There's Something In My...Dried Fruit & Nuts. WTSIM is being hosted this month by Andrew at Spittoon Extra.

Other WTSIM entries:
Spicy Black Beans - March 2008
Ensalada Caprese - February 2008
White Chocolate & Strawberry Frozen Terrine - December 2007
Quick Vanilla Flan - November 2007
Layered Carrot Cake - October 2007
Cocona Chutney - September 2007
Peanut Chicken Stew - January 2007