In the Kitchen
Figgin' Out? Try these recipes
Delicate figs can be made in a variety of ways that delight the palate.
RECIPES FROM ARTICLE PRINTED IN August 8, 2007 Austin American Statesman.
By Amy Culbertson
FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Here are some other tempting ideas gleaned from recent cookbooks and other sources that demonstrate just how versatile — and trendy — this ancient fruit can be:
Fig syrup
At the legendary Inn at Little Washington in Virginia, chef Patrick O'Connell serves a peach-fig syrup over puffy, light cottage cheese and buttermilk pancakes. The warm syrup would be delightful over ice cream, too:
Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat; add 1 1/2 cup sliced peaches and 1 cup quartered figs. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a simmer. Add 1/2 cup maple syrup; bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes more. (Can be made in advance and rewarmed before serving.)
— Adapted from 'Patrick O'Connell's Refined American Cuisine'
Figs and ice cream
At California's much-lauded French Laundry, chef Thomas Keller makes vanilla-roasted figs to serve warm with ice cream:
Cut split vanilla beans into 2-inch lengths, slice off the tops of the figs and insert a piece of vanilla bean into a small slit at the top of each fig. While preheating oven to 400 degrees, melt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter in an ovenproof pan that will hold the figs standing upright; then add 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar and stir to dissolve. Stand the figs in the butter, add any remaining vanilla bean pieces to the pan and bake for 10 minutes.
— Adapted from 'The New York Times Country Weekend Cookbook'
Broiled figs
Food writer and cookbook author Melanie Barnard suggests broiled figs as a romantic dessert for two: Quarter four figs and divide them, cut side up, among two generously buttered gratin dishes. Sprinkle figs with 2 tablespoons light-brown sugar, a teaspoon of grated lemon zest and 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice. Broil for a minute or two, until sugar is melted and bubbly, watching to prevent burning. We might be tempted to pour some heavy cream over the top before serving.
— Adapted from 'Short & Sweet: Sophisticated Desserts in 30 Minutes or Less'
Fig salsita
Spanish-food authority Anya von Bremzen cuts firm small figs into thin wedges and tosses them with very thinly sliced red onion, sherry, extra-virgin olive oil and sherry vinegar to make a "salsita" she serves with grilled chicken.
— Adapted from "The New Spanish Table"
Fig salad
Salad maven Catherine Walthers tosses arugula, goat-cheese crumbles, shelled pistachio nuts and figs roasted with a little brown sugar in an oiled ovenproof skillet at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. She dresses the salad with a balsamic vinaigrette.
— Adapted from 'Raising the Salad Bar'
Fig-and-cream-cheese-stuffed French toast
The mascarpone cheese adds a touch of luxury but is optional; you could also omit the bacon to make this a vegetarian breakfast or brunch dish. Offer warm maple syrup and a bowl of plain yogurt as toppings.
3 slices bacon, chopped, cooked until crisp
1 cup chopped figs (about 10 small figs)
3 oz. softened cream cheese
1 Tbsp. mascarpone cheese
Zest of 1 small orange, divided
12 slices challah or other white bread, about 1/2 inch thick
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 Tbsp. butter, divided
In a medium bowl, place the bacon pieces, chopped figs, cream cheese, mascarpone and all but 1/2 teaspoon of the orange zest and fold together until thoroughly blended. Spread the mixture on each of 6 slices of the challah and top with the remaining slices to make sandwiches. In a large shallow dish, beat the eggs well and add the milk, salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of orange zest. Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-low heat in a skillet large enough to hold two sandwiches. Place each sandwich in the egg-milk mixture, turning to coat both sides; do not allow bread to remain in the mixture long or it will soak up too much liquid. Cook the sandwiches, two at a time, until they are browned on both sides; add another tablespoon of butter for each round. Keep the sandwiches warm in a low oven while you are cooking the second and third batches. Serves six.
— Amy Culbertson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Fig preserves
These fig preserves are made as refrigerator preserves, but if you want to store them unrefrigerated, feel free to go through the additional steps required for safe canning (among the many resources offering canning instructions is www.canning-food-recipes.com).
8 cups (4 pints) chopped figs
3 cups sugar
2 (2-inch-long) knobs of gingerroot
2 small lemons
1/2 cup lemon juice
In a large bowl or dish, cover the chopped figs with the sugar and mix lightly to make sure the figs are thoroughly coated. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. Peel the gingerroot with a swivel peeler and chop it finely. Wash the lemons, cut them into quarters lengthwise and remove all the seeds you can see; then slice the quarters very thinly crosswise. You will have thin triangles of lemon with peel still attached. Search out and discard any remaining seeds. Transfer the figs and sugar, with any liquid that has accumulated, to a large saucepan or a deep skillet. Add the chopped gingerroot, the lemon slices and the lemon juice and heat over medium-low heat to keep the mixture just bubbling. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick and preservelike; watch carefully toward the end and stir often. (Cook to a consistency slightly thinner than what you want the preserves to be, as the preserves will "set up" as they cool.) This may take up to 2 hours, depending on the moisture content of the figs. Ladle the preserves into clean, sterilized jars and store in the refrigerator, or proceed with water-bath canning steps. Yields 3 to 31/2 pints.
— Amy Culbertson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Pork Chops with Roasted Figs
1 dozen fresh figs, cut in half
1/2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
2 tsp. minced shallots
6 Tbsp. port, divided
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
6 pork chops (about 1 inch thick and 2 1/2 lb. total)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. heavy cream
Place the figs in a bowl and sprinkle them with the rosemary and shallots. Add 2 tablespoons of port and the red wine vinegar and stir gently to combine. Set aside for at least 1 hour, or up to 4 hours. Generously season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Refrigerate at least 1 hour until ready to serve. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is quite hot, pat the pork chops dry and add them to the pan. Brown the pork chops well on both sides, in batches, about 3 minutes on the first side and 2 to 3 minutes on the second. Remove the pork chops to a plate, pour all the fat from the skillet and add the remaining one-quarter cup of port. Reduce to a syrup, add the cream and reduce that to a thick sauce, about 30 seconds. (It will thin with the cooking juices). Return the pork chops to the pan and arrange the figs over the top. Add the marinade. Cover and place in the oven until the pork chops are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Carefully transfer the pork chops and figs to a warmed serving platter. If necessary, reduce the sauce a little more over medium-high heat, and then spoon it over the pork and figs before serving immediately. Serves 6.
— Los Angeles Times
Fig-honey gelato
1 lb. fresh figs, quartered
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. orange liqueur
1/3 cup mascarpone
11/2 cups milk
Pinch salt
In a saucepan, heat the figs over medium-high heat with the sugar, stirring roughly so they break apart. Cook, stirring, until the figs have mostly melted and begin to bubble, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the honey, orange liqueur, mascarpone, milk and salt. Chill well, about 30 minutes in the refrigerator; then freeze according to ice cream maker's instructions. Makes 1 quart.
— Los Angeles Times
How to store figs
Figs picked not quite ripe can be kept at room temperature for a day or so, but dead-ripe figs are very perishable and must be refrigerated if you want to keep them longer than a few hours. Even then, they may not last more than a day or two. Varieties with a "closed eye" (the small aperture at the bottom of the fruit) last longer than those with an "open eye."
Splits in the fruit do not necessarily mean a fig is spoiled. Sniff the fig closely; if it smells fresh instead of fermented, it's fine.
In stores, select the ripest figs you can find, but avoid any that are obviously overripe — mushy, bruised, discolored or exuding liquid.
posted August 15, 2007 | permanent link to this article
Eggplant recipe from Elizabeth Winslow
Eggplant Caponata or Caponata di Melanzane
presented by Elizabeth Winslow
1/2 c. ev olive oil
1 lg red onion, cut into 1/2 inch dice
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 T. pine nuts
3 T. dried currants
1 T red pepper flakes, or to taste
2 med eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 T sugar
1 t ground cinnamon
½ t unsweetened cocoa powder
2 t fresh thyme
1 lg ripe tomato, peeled, seeded & diced
1/3 c. balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
1 baguette, cut into rounds and toasted
Method:
In a 10 to 12 inch saute pan, heat olive oil until hot. Add onion, garlic, pine nuts, currants & pepper flakes and cook 4-5 minutes. Add eggplant, sugar, cinnamon, and cocoa and cook for 5 minutes. Add thyme, tomato, and vinegar and simmer 5 minutes. Serve room temp on crostini. Can also be served as an antpast, vegetable side or pasta sauce.
Eggplant, onion, garlic, tomato all available from several Austin Farmers' Market farmers. Baguette available from Texas French Bread Co.
posted August 09, 2007 | permanent link to this article
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