Australian prunes are the new superstar in the kitchen as they have all the nutritional elements of a super-food – with more health qualities than most – but they don’t carry the price tag, are available all year ‘round and can be included in all diets in a variety of ways.
The Australian Prune Industry Association (APIA) recently partnered with two restaurant chefs to produce a range of recipes featuring Aussie prunes. South Coast chefs David Campbell and Nick Gardner created 12 modern recipes to show how easy it is to incorporate the versatile prune into everyday cooking so all budding cooks can now use prunes like a professional chef in their own kitchen.
APIA Chairperson, Grant Delves, said the dishes are full of flavour, just as you’d expect from top quality restaurants. However, Mr Delves said the chefs had kept home cooks in mind and created recipes that were easy and relatively quick to reproduce.
“Prunes really are a superstar ingredient,” he said. “David and Nick have proved how versatile Australian prunes are and how easily they can be added to recipes for flavour, texture and nutrition. I particularly like how prunes are used instead of refined sugar for sweetness, and matching them with meats to provide extra moistness.”
Mr Delves said APIA was excited to share the recipes with the public. “We are showing people how to add a very healthy and nutritional ingredient to their diets,” he said. “Prunes are a great source of potassium, calcium and iron, and are low in sodium.
“They are cholesterol and fat-free, high in fibre, enhance gut health, and have a higher level of antioxidants than most fresh berries. They also assist in maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function and help to promote bone health and mental health.”
Nick Gardner, head chef at Eschalot Restaurant in Berrima, said prunes were a beautiful Australian-grown ingredient that people should embrace, be proud of, and introduce to their home pantries. The Sydney Morning Herald Young Chef of the Year 2013 said by incorporating prunes into dishes, people can create beautiful flavours and keep nutritional cooking at heart.
“What excites me most about prunes is the natural sweetness, rich caramel flavour and fudge texture that provides recipes with something more than you get from just using sugar,” Mr Gardner said. “I encourage everyone to get creative, try something unique, add flavour to your cooking, and add prunes in their whole or pureed form to any sauce, curry, cake mix, salad or meat dish to achieve great results.”
Prunes are cholesterol and fat-free, high in fibre, enhance gut health, and have a higher level of antioxidants than most fresh berries.
- Grant Delves
David Campbell, chef and owner of Hungry Duck in Berry and Wharf Rd Restaurant & Bar in Nowra, said prunes were more than a healthy snack. “I love using Australian prunes because they are so versatile,” Mr Campbell said. “They are low in fat and provide a rich, sweet compliment to most cuisines.”
All recipes are now available on APIA’s website: www.ausprunes.org.au and include seven-grain breakfast porridge with salted prune butterscotch sauce; chorizo, prune and goats cheese mini pizzas; pork and prune Vietnamese banh mi; Texan-style prune BBQ sauce; prune and Irish whisky layered crème brûlée; and layered prune, salted caramel and dark chocolate slice.
APIA is the peak industry body for prune growers and the two main Australian processors, Angas Park and Verity Fruits. The majority of prune growers are located in the Griffith and Young regions of NSW.