Since these use left overs, no specific amounts are given.
Sultanas in Sherry
Use some left over sherry and sultanas – the sultanas plump up over several weeks soaking in sherry and could lift a simple roast chicken, grilled or baked white fish or maybe a robust goats’ cheese and salad dressing.
Fill a *cooled, sterilised jar loosely with sultanas. Cover the sultanas completely with sherry. Seal the jar with the lid and store away from direct sunlight for at least 4 weeks. Use as above – they should keep for at least a year, probably longer.
Dried Figs in Dessert Wine
Cut each one in to four pieces and remove the hard stalk with scissors.
Fill a *cooled, sterilised jar with the prepared figs. Cover the figs completely with dessert wine.
Seal the jar with the lid and store in a cool place out of direct sunlight.
These will be fine to use for figs wrapped in bacon (see below) after about two weeks but, the longer you leave them, the better they will taste; and, after about 6 months, they will take on a chutney- like texture and are very good with cheese.
Prunes in Brandy
Fill a *cooled, sterilised jar loosely with dried prunes (remove the stones). Cover them completely with brandy. Seal the jar with the lid and store away from direct sunlight for at least 4 weeks before eating them. They should keep for at least a year, probably longer. These too can be used in the recipe below or could be stirred into a simple pork or rabbit casserole.
Figs or prunes wrapped in bacon
Use half a slice of streaky bacon for each half of fig in dessert wine – allow 3-4 per person.
Preheat the oven to 200c.
Wrap each piece of fig in half of a very thinly sliced rasher of bacon and bake in the preheated oven for 5-8 minutes until the bacon is crisp. Eat them with roast chicken or pork or serve them as they are with drinks.
*To sterilise jars:
Preheat the oven to 120c
Wash the jars and lids in hot soapy water
Rinse them in clean water
Put them upside down on a clean baking tray
Put them in the preheated oven for 15 minutes
Handle them with a clean cloth
