by Loulies
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A&M's Testing Notes:
Expand CollapseLoulies's Notes:
2 pounds
ripe figs, washed
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Lemon zest strips, 1-inch long and 1/4-inch wide (pith removed)
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2 cups
sugar
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Rum, as needed (optional)
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Place whole figs in a deep, wide saucepan. Cut a small slit at the top of each fruit and insert a lemon zest strip into each slit. Sprinkle sugar over figs. Add water, or part water/part rum, to a depth of 1/4-inch in the pan. Place a vanilla bean in the center of the pan.
Ask the hotline about this step!Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until sugar caramelizes, 15-20 minutes. Serve warm.
Ask the hotline about this step!Note: Pears can be prepared the same way: peel, halve, and core, then poach in simple syrup or wine with strips of lemon zest and vanilla bean. They take longer to cook than the figs.
Ask the hotline about this step!I'm thinking of making this for New Year's eve meal. I mean, dessert - can't wait to eat this again.
Unless otherwise noted, this is Joyce Goldstein's recipe from her 2005 book "Cucina Ebraica: Flavors of the Italian Jewish Kitchen"
I forgot to thank you for this. I served this with mascarpone. What if anything would you serve with the pear preparation?
This is a lovely, lovely idea, especially the adorable little lemon-tongues peeping out of the figs' mouths. My husband said, comparing it to the fig clafoutis, that it would be a much better way to convince somebody to like figs. The figs in the clafoutis are swept up in a mad waltz of butter and cream and honey and spice and zest and apple brandy. Here, figs are front and center; the other ingredients bow graciously. We followed A&M's suggestion and served them with Greek yogurt. (Tomorrow morning we'll follow their suggestion and have the rest for breakfast.) I scaled the recipe back from roughly 50 figs (2 pounds) to 15 figs, four servings (two tonight, two tomorrow). Am I the only one who needs to scale all these recipes back?
And we did indeed have more figs for breakfast with Zoom, a hot whole-wheat cereal, and unsweetened Silk. I had used a Meyer lemon for the lemon peel, and in the morning the figs were suffused with that Meyer perfume, much stronger than either the vanilla or the rum. So good!
Love it!
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I made this last night for a friend, but with pears. It was amazing!! I served it with greek yogurt with about a tablespoon of honey mixed in. The rum-vanilla syrup and the tangy sweet yogurt was the perfect accent for the fruit! Can't wait to try it with figs next time.