Poached Pluots in Reisling
When you’re looking for a great Summer dessert, this poached pluots recipe is perfect!
Poached Pluots Recipe
We love pluots (that delectable plum/apricot cross). They are a wonderful creation of the Zaiger family which has inundated Farmers’ Markets, fine grocers and backyards everywhere. Flavor Grenades, Dapple Dandys (aka Dinosaur Eggs), Flavor Kings and Queens. They have the light tartness of a plum, the firmness of a great plum, but the mellowed sweetness of flesh more reminiscent of an apricot. That’s why this poached pluots recipe is perfect for a stone fruit dessert.
Rarely do the pluots we buy (gardening side-note: we are growing Dapple Dandies but they’ve yet to produce. Hopefully next year as the tree has settled in and has grown quite nicely this summer) make it past the grab and eat junction, but occasionally we get to make a summer-perfect dessert with them.
Semi-Dry Riesling
One of our favorite desserts to make this poached pluots recipe in a semi-dry Riesling, drizzle some caramel sauce over them, then add a luscious dollop of whipped cream to finish things off perfectly (there’s that word again. Some may not have heard cookies described as luscious before 😉 but there should be no question that fresh whipped cream deserves “luscious” as a descriptive!)
The poaching gently softens the pluots, plus slightly sweetening them with the complimenting flavors of agave nectar (honey, sugar, or palm sugar are all doable substitutes). Then the caramel sauce is made from some of the reserved poaching liquid, tying its flavor to the poached pluots. Finally a dollop of freshly made whipped cream adds a cool, creamy counterpoint to the pluots.
If you’ve yet to experience a pluot, run to your nearest Farmer’s Market or exceptional grocer and try them. They are gems alongside their other wonderful brethren in the stone fruit family. If fresh, chin dripping pluots are old hat to you, maybe have a little fun and try this recipe to finish off that warm summer night’s meal.
-Todd
Adjust the sweetener of poaching liquid to the the sweetness or tartness of your pluots or plums. Agave nectar gives a perfect flavor compliment to the pluots and riesling but sometimes is hard to find. Feel free to substitute honey or sugar to sweeten the poaching liquid. Here’s more of our fruit recipes to enjoy.
Poached Pluots (or Plums) w/ Riesling
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. (910g) Pluots or plums , halved and pitted (about 10 pluots)
- 2 cups (470ml) semi-dry Riesling wine , or whatever white wine you prefer
- 1/3 cup (113g) Honey , or Agave Nectar, or 1/2 cup (100g) Sugar
- sprig of thyme
- 1 cup (200g) Sugar
- 1 cup (240ml) Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) Powdered Sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon (3ml) Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Poach pluots: Combine wine, honey, and thyme in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add pluots to the pan. Poach for about 3-6 minutes or until softened but not mushy (firmer pluots may need more time). Remove the pluots from the poaching liquid and set aside to cool. Reserve poaching liquid.
- Make the sauce: Combine 1 cup of reserved poaching liquid and 1 cup of sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high, and boil for about 5 minutes, will easily coat a spoon. Set aside to cool. It will thicken more after cooling. After cooling, if it is too thick add a little more poaching liquid to thin the sauce.
- Make whipped cream: Whisk together the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to soft peaks. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
- Serve: Plate a couple pluots per serving. Pour sauce over pluots and top with a nice dollop of whipped cream.
Nutrition Information per Serving
My market had a lovely basket of these out yesterday and I was wondering what to do with them. Your photograph is inspiring. Thank you.
I have never tasted Market fresh pluots before – the fruit bought at the supermarket just did not do anything for me. I expect perfection from my stone fruit, that delectable balance between too firm and mushy, too bland and overripe, caught in a short moment of just right (I chase that perfection every summer with all my stone fruit, being raised in an environment where eating the fruit off the tree at the perfect moment was en everyday occurrence).
The combination of flavors in your recipe makes me try this with plums (but I will keep on searching for the perfect pluots!), which are very accessible right now. And I just happen to have a bottle of Funf Riesling in the fridge!
Wow. I love how juicy they look. And simple. And perfect. Adding this to my list of desserts for the next few weeks. Thanks for the inspiration!
My first time joining the fun for Summer Fest! Took some liberties, though. My contribution is Key Lime Cheesecake Bars, that uses almonds, blueberries (are they in the same Rose Family as the other berries?) and limes (we only have citrus trees growing in our yard). These bars are unbelievably good!
I love plumots! We have them in Turkey, but they look a bit different… maybe they aren’t the same…
This looks sooo good, and I was just wondering the other day what one does with a pluto.
Gorgeous!
The pictures on this blog are always so breathtaking. I’ve never had a pluot before but I’m sold.
What beautiful pluots!
Beautiful pictures and delicious recipes, as always. Your blog is one of my favorite websites to read! Thank you!!!!
Oh, now I simply must eat more pluots!
We love pluots in our house. Poaching sounds like an amazing way to prepare them. The addition of orange zest to the poaching liquid must add lots of great flavor.
Absolutely gorgeous!
These look amazing! I have to force myself to actually cook with the stone fruits I get from my CSA — it’s too tempting to just eat them at the kitchen sink! Haven’t gotten any plums yet, maybe I’ll get some from the farmer’s market this weekend so I can poach them in Riesling.
As ever, you achieve elegant simplicity (simple elegance?).
And I have never tasted a pluot! Silly me.
xoxox
You pluots are incredibly beautiful!