Balsamic Poached Figs Recipes

HONEY, BALSAMIC & ROSEMARY ROASTED FIGS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place figs, cut sides up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle evenly with balsamic vinegar, honey and vanilla; sprinkle with salt. Add rosemary sprigs to baking sheet.
• Roast in preheated oven until figs soften slightly, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven; flip figs using tongs. Sprinkle baking sheet evenly with butter cubes.
• Return to oven, and roast at 425 degrees F until butter is melted and balsamic vinegar is thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool on baking sheet 10 minutes. Discard rosemary sprigs. Sprinkle figs with lemon zest.

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH POLENTA AND BALSAMIC-POACHED FIGS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 300 degrees. Place chicken on a baking sheet and gently peel back skin from chicken pieces without detaching it completely. Heat until the meat is warm and the skin is crisp, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine polenta and water in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Break up polenta with a wooden spoon, then stir continuously until creamy and heated through. Season with salt, spoon onto serving plates, and top with chicken.
• In a small pot, combine chicken "jus," figs, and fig syrup; whisk until combined. Reduce slightly over medium-low heat. Season with pepper. Pour over chicken. Garnish with parsley.

PANNA COTTA WITH ROASTED FIGS AND BALSAMIC

Steps:

• In a small bowl, submerse the gelatin sheets in cool water to soften.
• In a small saucepan combine the cream and 1 cup sugar. Slit the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds. Add the seeds and the hull of the vanilla bean to the saucepan. Whisk to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and turn off immediately. Remove the softened gelatin sheets from the cool water and whisk into the hot cream mixture. Remove and discard the vanilla bean. Pour immediately into serving dishes and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Toss the figs together with the remaining sugar and balsamic. Let macerate for about 15 minutes. Roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until the figs are soft and the sugar and balsamic have started to caramelize on the figs.
• Top the panna cotta with the roasted figs.

GORGONZOLA FIGS WITH BALSAMIC GLAZE

Steps:

• For glaze, in a small saucepan, bring vinegar to a boil over medium heat; cook until reduced to about 1/4 cup., Cut a lengthwise slit down the center of each fig; fill with 1-1/2 teaspoons cheese. Wrap each with a piece of prosciutto; place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with rosemary and pepper. , Bake at 425° for 10-12 minutes or until prosciutto is crisp. Serve warm with glaze.

POACHED FRESH FIGS

Steps:

• Spread the sugar in the bottom of the pan, and pour in 1/2 cup water and the lemon juice. Set the figs in the pan, stem up, in one layer. Nestle the strips of lemon zest and the bay leaves in between the figs.
• Set the pan over low heat, and cook slowly until the sugar melts and the figs release their juices. As the juices rise in the pan, gradually raise the heat to keep them bubbling (and "galloping"). When the figs are soft and the liquid level comes halfway up their sides, in 30 minutes or more, turn off the heat, and let the figs rest in the pan for an hour or longer, to reabsorb some of the juices.
• Slowly heat the figs and juices until they're bubbling again, and cook for 30 minutes or so, until the figs are very soft (but still intact) and the juices have become thick and syrupy.
• Let the figs cool before serving. Arrange them in a serving dish if you like, with the syrup all around. Enjoy the fruit and syrup on their own, or atop vanilla ice cream, or with a soft, creamy cheese such as Taleggio or Robiola.