Fig Recipes

Top 5. Jan 27, 1999 1:10 AM

» Jojo - California Fig Advisory Board

Lots of good ones here...
Recipes from the California Fig Advisory Board

-- posted by Jojo

Top 6. Jan 27, 1999 1:23 AM

» Jojo - Figgy Pudding

This is the figgy pudding of Christmas Carol fame, all the way from the exotic British Isles!

1 cup dried black figs
1 & 1/2 to 2 cups dried fruit (raisins, prunes, apricots are good)
1 & 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 to 3/4 cup brown sugar
2 Eggs
1 cup grated raw carrot
1 cup grated raw potato

Cover the figs with boiling water and let stand about 10 minutes.
Drain, and chop the fruit.
Chop the other dried fruit in small pieces and combine.
Combine the flour with the soda and spices.
Add 1/2 cup to the dried fruits
and mix.
Beat the applesauce and the brown sugar together.
Beat in the eggs.
Add the grated vegetables.
Gradually stir in the flour, beating until smooth.
Mix in the dried fruits.
Fill a large-sized pudding bowl 2/3 full and cover with a lid or foil.
At this point many people choose to let their pudding sit for a few weeks to a month. This lets the flavours mingle and develop.
An Irish alternative is to hang the pudding dough in cheesecloth in the shed. After 2 weeks of hanging, the pudding is taken down and put in a bowl.
Stand the bowl on a rack or metal trivet in an inch of boiling water in a pot with a tight cover.
Steam 2 hours, adding more boiling water if necessary. Serve hot, with white sauce innundated with brandy or rum.

-- posted by Jojo

Top 7. Jan 27, 1999 1:37 AM

» Jojo - Fig Aniseed Muffins

Makes 10 to 12 muffins in total

1 egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons anise extract
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoons aniseeds
1/2 cup chopped, dried figs
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease muffin tins or line with paper cups.

In large mixing bowl, whisk together egg, milk, oil, and anise extract.
In another bowl, combine flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and aniseeds.
Stir until evenly moistened.
Stir in figs and spoon into muffin cups.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

-- posted by Jojo

Top 8. Jan 27, 1999 1:53 AM

» Jojo - Fig Tart - Cornmeal Crust

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, slightly softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal - rough cut or stone-ground
1/2 teaspoon salt
Unsalted butter for greasing tin
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup fresh cream
1 1/2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
About 20 fresh figs, stemmed and quartered. Thin-skin or early crop varieties are best.
1/4 cup fig, grape, red-currant or other jam, as long as there are no seeds in.
2 tablespoons red wine

Cream together the butter and granulated sugar in bowl of an electric mixer, about 2 minutes.
Add yolks, and mix just to combine.
Whisk together the dry ingredients, and add to the yolk mixture; mix just until it comes together loosely.
Transfer the dough to plastic wrap, press together, and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes, until firm.
Prepare a 4 1/2-by-14-inch rectangular fluted tart tin with cooking spray or butter.
Roll out the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap to about 1/8-inch thickness. Discard the top plastic wrap, and gently invert dough over the prepared tart tin. Discard the remaining piece of plastic wrap. Press the dough into tin, and trim so the dough is flush to edges.
Repair tears or cracks on the dough by pressing together dough with your fingers.
Place in the refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes.
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Prick the crust several times with a fork, and bake on the middle rack of oven until the crust begins to colour, 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove from oven, and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. When cool, remove from the pan.
Place on a serving platter or board.
Beat cream cheese until smooth.
Add the fresh cream and confectioners' sugar, and beat until mixture is smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
Spread the filling into the cooled crust, and arrange the figs on top, pressing them in slightly.
To make the glaze, combine the jam and wine in a small saucepan.
Set over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
Reduce heat, and simmer until mixture is thick and syrupy, about 2 minutes.
Cool slightly, and brush warm glaze over figs with a pastry brush.
Chill the tart in the refrigerator, or serve. Either way, serve within several hours.
I have skipped the crust altogether, because it's so fiddley. This recipe works well in just about any kind of crust.

-- posted by Jojo

Top 9. Jan 28, 1999 2:16 AM

» Jojo - Breasts of Chicken with Fresh Figs and GIN

18 fresh figs
1 Cup of gin
6 chicken breasts, boned, skinned, & split
6 Tbl unsalted butter
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 C chicken stock
1/2 dry vermouth
1 1/2 C heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

Wash the figs. Pierce several times, and soak
in the gin for 2 to 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Rub the chicken breasts with the lemon juice.
In
an ovenproof dish with a lid, heat the butter.
Add the breasts, and cook for 2 minutes,
turning often.
Cover, and bake in oven for
8 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the baking
dish and keep warm.
Add the stock and vermouth to the baking dish.
Boil rapidly, stirring, and reduce to 1/2 C.
Add the cream, salt, and pepper.
Pour the sauce over the chicken.
Surround with drained figs. Serve hot.
Adapted from "Carnegie Treasures Cookbook,"
foreward by James Beard (Antheneum, 1984).

-- posted by Jojo

Top 10. Jan 28, 1999 2:22 AM

» Jojo - Stuffed Fresh Figs

This is easy...

Cut the stems off figs. Scoop out some of the insides. Replace with a sweet or savory cream filling. Sour cream and grated orange peel is nice. So is cream cheese and ham or sharp cheddar.

-- posted by Jojo

Top 11. Jan 28, 1999 2:28 AM

» Jojo - More ideas for fresh figs

These are rather unconventional...

Cut them lengthwise in half, brush them with olive oil and grill them cut-side down over hot coals for about five minutes, which concentrates their sugars and imparts a smoky flavor. Then serve them with feta cheese and fresh basil.
Poach figs half-submerged in Darjeeling tea at a very low simmer for 10 or 15 minutes. You want very little agitation of the liquid so they hold their shape. Let them cool in that liquid, then take them out serve them with cream that’s been whipped, cultured or thickened in some way.
In another savory treatment of figs, braise fatty types of fish, such as swordfish or salmon, on a bed of figs and onions with rosemary and a little garlic, salt, pepper, and enough white wine to moisten the mixture. The liquid left in the pan can be reduced to a sauce.
For a dessert, scoop out the insides and freeze the shells. Then puree the pulp with thickened yogurt that’s been drained, in proportions of roughly two parts fig to one part yogurt. Put that mixture back in the frozen shells and serve them on a plate with a splash of port wine and a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper.

-- posted by Jojo

Top 12. Jan 28, 1999 2:35 AM

» Jojo - Fig Recipe Webpage

Valley Fig Growers Association
You'll find lots of fig recipes here, including Fig Kebabs on Mixed Greens and lots of savory stuffed fig ideas, as well as some sweet ideas.

-- posted by Jojo

Top 13. May 19, 2000 6:14 PM

» Jojo - Basmati rice with figs, mustard seeds and ginger

You will need...

2 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon mustard seeds

1/2 cup minced onion

1 tablespoon minced or grated ginger

1 jalapeno or other hot, small pepper, seeded and minced

2 cups basmati rice

Salt to taste

4 small, firm figs, diced

What you need to do...

1)Put butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add mustard seeds, onion, ginger and jalapeno. Cook until onion softens, about 4 to 5 minutes.

2)Add rice and stir. Add salt, figs and 3 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 10 minutes. Turn heat off and allow to steam another 10 minutes. Serves 6.

-- posted by Jojo