Pitted prunes, thin slices of bacon, roll it all up, bake, and there you have it, delicious 2 ingredients quick and easy appetizers the French like to serve at l’apéro.
Here is a very traditional aperitif recipe, it may seem a little dated as it was often served at the end of the 20th century, between the 1980s and the early 2000s, but a bit like Bacon Wrapped Green Beans Bundles that are served as an accompaniment to meat or fish, it is always a huge success, maybe even a little emotional for many French, a hit of nostalgia where everyone remembers the last time they ate it at their grandmother’s house or on the rare occasion.
It is one of those appetizers that are super simple and quick to prepare.
In France we love appetizers, especially those which require a little cooking but that can be prepared in less than 5 minutes. What are your go-to quick recipes?
Mine are the sun tarts of course, two puff pastries and a pesto and tapenade filling… as well as my mother in laws Boursin cheese and ham roll ups or even cream cheese garnished button mushrooms.
In short, I will give you some advice and information about this recipe but it is very simple to make.
Small focus on the prunes
Prunes are dried fruits obtained from certain varieties of plums. It is very commonly used in French cuisine, may it be sweet or savory dishes (with roast port, delicious!). Here is some information about prunes:
Origin and customs
Originally from China, today plums are grown in many parts of the world, including Europe, North America and Asia. They have been cultivated in France since the Middle Ages.
It is thanks to its nutritional values and its easy transportation that the prune began to be widely distributed from the 17th century onwards.
If you want to be sure to buy quality prunes, Agen prune is a safe choice. They are produced from a single variety of plum: the Ente plum, it also benefits from an IGP Protected Geographical Indication designation since 2002, which defines the geographical area of production (between Lot-et-Garonne as well as Gironde, Dordogne)
But why Agen? It is the ports on the Garonne and their shipping capacities to Bordeaux and then to the world which made the city of Agen the starting point for the development of the marketing of prunes.
Prunes nutritional values
Prunes are rich in dietary fibre, especially soluble fiber. They are also a source of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, B6 and K, potassium (610 mg per 100 g), copper (0.23 mg per 100 g) and iron. Additionally, prunes are rich in antioxidants.
Prunes are quite rich (229 kcal per 100 g) because of its large quantity of sugars. It is distributed as follows: sorbitol (25%), fructose (25%) and glucose (50%). These sugars have a double effect: fast effect and slow sugar, meaning no sugar spike while still giving you energy thanks to fructose. Perfect for exercising!
Health Benefits:
- Besides preventing or relieving constipation due to their high fiber content, prunes can contribute to bone health due to their vitamin K and mineral content. Additionally, the antioxidants found in prunes may help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. Potassium and copper contribute to the normal functioning of the nervous system. In addition, copper contributes to the normal transport of iron throughout the body.
- Vitamin B6 (0.25 mg per 100 g) plays a role in reducing fatigue and the help with the functioning of the immune system.
- It is the ideal appetite suppressant food containing carbohydrates that are quickly assimilated by the body, which makes it a perfect “fuel” for our brain!
Conserving the prunes
Prunes should be kept at room temperature in a cool, dry place.
They can also be stored in the refrigerator for a longer life.
How to make these bacon wrapped prunes
How to make the prune rolls with bacon
Couldn’t be easier. Buy thin slices of bacon. Ideally at the butcher of course, he will slice them in front of you, otherwise buy some at the supermarket. Smoked bacon is even better.
Here I chose to buy prunes that were already pitted. Otherwise we take our patience and a knife, and we make small incisions to remove the cores of each prune.
Then we wrap each prune in a slice of smoked bacon.
What cooking time
Place them on a baking tray covered with parchment paper, tucking the end of the bacon slice under the prune so that it does not unfold in the oven.
Now we bake for 1o to 15 minutes at 180°C. depending on your oven. Watch and enjoy the bacon cooking. 2 minutes before the end, turn on the grill function to obtain a very crispy result.
Bacon wrapped prunes
Ingredients
- 20 slices bacon very thin slices
- 40 prunes (make sure they are pitted)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C / 350°F.
- Pit all your prunes if they aren't already pitted.
- Cut the bacon slices in half to have so the bacon slices are long enough to wrap around the prunes, but also not too long
- Wrap the bacon around each prune, place it on an oven tray covered with parchment paper, place the end of the bacon slice under the prune
- Cook for around 10-15 minutes at 180°C / 350°F and 1 or 2 minutes before the end, turn to the grill position so that the bacon crisps.
- Serve whilst still hot with picks or toothpicks.