In Dordogne cooking, Agen prunes bring depth and sweetness to both rustic and refined dishes. They appear in stuffings for duck or pork, rich sauces, tarts, and compotes, and are sometimes steeped in eau-de-vie for a spirited finish.

January is traditionally “Pork” season in the Dordogne. For centuries in rural Périgord, families slaughtered their annual pig in mid-winter, usually December or January. January was especially favoured because the cold weather naturally preserved meat and slowed spoilage and it was the quiet, post-harvest period when families had time. Communities came together to help by salting, curing, stuffing sausages and stocking the fat.

January is the perfect time to marry a pork fillet with a creamy prune sauce. Allow half a small fillet person. Sauté the pork with shallots and transfer to a slow cooker. Make the sauce by first of all preparing a roux (butter and flour) then adding chicken stock and white wine. When at the right consistency, add the sauce to the slow cooker where you can leave it all day. About 2 hours before you want to eat, add as many prunes as you like (I normally allow 4 per person). About 1 hour before you want to eat, stir in a large tablespoon of redcurrant jelly.

If you are interested in using prunes in a dessert there is a recipe for prune and apple cake in my recipe book, The Little Dordogne Kitchen, available at various outlets in Eymet and on Amazon.