For this week’s recipe, Toronto Chef Jeff Crump shared with us his Devil’s on Horseback recipe from the EPOCH Bar & Kitchen Terrace menu (it’s also featured in his cookbook, Earth to Table). Time to try it at home!
Devil’s on Horseback
Ingredients
• 1 cup (250mL) water
• 1cup (250mL) dry red wine (or port, but omit the sugar)
• 1 tablespoon (15mL) sugar
• 15 large pitted prunes
• 4 ounces (115g) blue cheese
• 15 thin slices bacon, each 4 inches (10cm) long
Directions
• In a small saucepan, combine the water, red wine, sugar and prunes. The prunes should be completely covered; if they are not, add more red wine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the prunes sit in the liquid for at least 2 hours and preferably overnight. Remove the prunes, reserving the liquid.
• Using your fingers, break off some blue cheese and carefully stuff the prunes. The prunes should be full but not overstuffed and messy, as the cheese could burn during cooking.
• Put a prune at one end of a slice of bacon and roll up so the prune is wrapped in the bacon. Skewer the prune with a toothpick through the end of the bacon to keep the bacon tight. Repeat with all the prunes.
• Heat a medium skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the bacon-wrapped prunes, and cook, carefully turning occasionally, until the bacon is crisp and the prunes are hot, about 8 minutes. Transfer to serving plates.
• Add 1⁄4 cup (60mL) of the reserved red wine mixture to the hot pan, swirling the pan until the liquid is reduced to a syrupy glaze. Pour over the bacon-wrapped prunes and serve immediately.
