Fig And Blue Cheese Savories Recipes

BLUE CHEESE SOUFFLE WITH FRESH FIGS AND HONEY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Prepare 4 (8-ounce) ramekins by greasing them with softened butter and then coating them with sugar, tapping out any excess.
• Make a thick bechamel sauce base by melting the 3 tablespoons of butter over low-medium heat in a thick-bottomed pot. Just as the foam subsides, add the flour, stirring constantly with a whisk to prevent lumps. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes to coat the flour with fat and remove the starchy taste; do not allow the roux to brown. Add the warm milk to the mixture and continue to whisk until smooth and thick. Remove from the heat. Beat in the egg yolks 1 at a time. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in the cheese until incorporated evenly. Chill the mixture while whipping the egg whites.
• In a separate clean bowl beat the egg whites and cream of tartar just until soft peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the beaten whites into the bechamel mixture to lighten it. Then gently fold in the rest. Pour the batter into the prepared ramekins and place on a cookie sheet. Bake on the middle rack for about 25 minutes.
• The souffle is done when it has puffed over the rim, the outside is golden, and the center jiggles slightly.
• Serve with fresh figs and a drizzle of honey. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

FIG & BLUE CHEESE TART

Steps:

• First make the pastry. Tip the flours into a food processor with ½ tsp salt and the diced butter. Pulse until you can't feel any lumps, then tip in the walnuts. Mix the egg yolks with 3 tbsp cold water, then dribble this into the machine while you pulse again until the pastry comes together. Tip the pastry out onto a floured surface, lightly bring it together into a ball, then roll out and line a deep 20-23cm tart tin with overhang. The pastry may crack, but just patch it back together, then cover and chill for 1 hr.
• To make the filling, melt the remaining butter in a large pan, then add the shallots and soften for 10-15 mins, until golden and squishy. Stir in the thyme for 1 min, then remove from the heat. Beat the eggs in a jug with the crème fraîche and cream. Crumble in the cheese and season with pepper and a small amount of salt.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Blind bake the pastry for 20 mins, remove the baking beans and paper, then bake for a further 15-20 mins until golden and sandy. Reduce the oven temp to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Add the cooled onions to the cream mixture and pour into the case. Sit the fig halves on top, cut side up, sprinkle with some more thyme and bake on the middle shelf for 1 hr-1hr 10 mins until the tart is browning and has a slight wobble - the cheese middle will firm up on sitting. Cool for about 15-20 mins, then remove from tin and serve with a green salad.

FIG AND GORGONZOLA SAVOURIES (THUMBPRINTS)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place the flour, butter, Gorgonzola, and a few grinds of black pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the dough just comes together and starts to form a ball.
• Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to pull the dough together.
• Shape dough into logs, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for an hour in the freezer.
• Slice logs into 1/8 inch thick slices, and place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Using the back or a round half-teaspoon measure, or your knuckle, make an indentation in the top of each dough round. Spoon about 1/4 teaspoon fig preserves into each indentation, using your finger to push the preserves as best as possible into the indentations.
• Bake the savories for 10 - 14 minutes, until the preserves are bubbling and the pastry is light golden on the bottom.
• Let cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes, the remove to a wire rack to cool.
• You'll find fig preserves at the grocery - it may be shelved with the "fancy" jams and jellies. You can make these a day ahead and keep them in two layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container.

FIG AND BLUE CHEESE SAVOURIES

Steps:

• 1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• 2. Place the flour, butter, blue cheese, and a few grinds of black pepper in the bowl of a food processor and process until the dough just comes together and starts to form a ball.
• 3. Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to pull it together. Then roll out to a 1/8-inch-thick circle with a floured rolling pin. Cut rounds out of the dough with a floured 1-inch round cutter and transfer to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Reroll the scraps (no more than once) and cut more rounds.
• 4. Using the back of a rounded 1/2-teaspoon measure or your knuckle, make an indentation in the center of each dough round. Spoon about 1/4 teaspoon of the fig preserves into each indentation, using your finger to push the preserves as best as possible into the indentation.
• 5. Bake the savouries until the preserves are bubbling and the pastry is light golden on the bottom, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.