Figs In Blankets With Port Mustard Sauce Recipes

FIGS IN A BLANKET

Steps:

• Cut a sheet of thawed frozen puff pastry lengthwise into five strips, then cut crosswise into thirds to make 15 rectangles. Slice each rectangle diagonally to make 30 triangles. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon goat cheese onto each triangle and top with a quartered fig. Wrap the pastry around the fig and press to seal. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush with beaten egg and bake at 400˚ until puffed and golden, 18 to 20 minutes.

FIGS IN BLANKETS WITH PORT-MUSTARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Place figs in a 2-quart saucepan, add port, bring to a simmer, remove from heat and let soak, covered but not refrigerated, overnight.
• Make the dough: Cut the frozen butter in 8 pieces and grate using a shredding disc of a food processor. Change to the regular blade. Add the flour and pulse 15 or 20 times, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the sour cream and pulse for a minute or so until the dough starts to come together.
• Turn the dough out on a floured surface and knead briefly to form a smooth ball. Divide the dough in half and flatten each piece. Place each in a resealable sandwich bag, press out any air, seal the bag and use a rolling pin to roll the bag until the dough fills the bag, forming a square. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
• Drain figs, reserving the port; you should have about a half cup of the port. Spread figs on several layers of paper towel to dry for about 30 minutes. Return the port to the saucepan and boil 6 to 8 minutes until syrupy and reduced to 1/4 cup. Remove from heat and set aside. Cut a slit in each of the figs and insert a small nugget of the cheese, less than a half-inch, in each.
• Remove the dough from their bags by cutting the bags and peeling them off. On a lightly floured board roll one square of the dough into a rectangle 8-by-12 inches. Cut it in 8 strips each an inch wide, across the width of the rectangle. Cut each strip in thirds. You should have 24 pieces, each 1-by-4 inches. Wrap 24 of the figs in the strips of dough, moistening the ends to seal. Cover a baking sheet with foil. Place the wrapped figs on the baking sheet, seam side down. Repeat with the other square of dough and figs.
• Make the sauce: Stir the mustard into the reduced port and transfer to a serving dish. This mixture will keep, refrigerated in a covered container, at least three weeks.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake wrapped figs about 35 minutes, until golden. Some of the figs may have oozed residue of the port which can be brushed off. Serve the baked figs at once or let cool and refrigerate or freeze. To reheat, let them come to room temperature, then warm at 250 degrees for 15 minutes. Serve with port-mustard sauce alongside for dipping.

SHORT RIBS PROVENçAL

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 4 tablespoons olive oil, the wine, onions, carrots, garlic and thyme. Use a vegetable peeler to cut 3 3-inch strips of orange peel and add them, along with juice of orange. Season with salt and pepper. Add short ribs, cover and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, remove meat from marinade and pat dry on paper towels. Strain marinade into a large measuring cup. Reserve vegetables.
• Heat remaining oil in a 4-quart casserole. Add meat, a few pieces at a time, and lightly brown. Remove to a bowl.
• Add reserved onions and garlic to casserole, lower heat and cook until starting to brown. Add herbes de Provence. Return meat to casserole with reserved thyme, carrots and orange peel. Pour in 11/4 cups marinade. Bring to a simmer, season with salt and pepper, lower heat, cover and cook 3 hours. Moisten with more marinade if needed.
• Skim excess fat from surface, check seasoning, stir in tomato pesto or paste and serve from casserole.

EDITH KLEIN'S CHOLENT

Steps:

• Place beans in a bowl, cover with cold water to a depth of 2 inches and allow to soak at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Heat fat or oil in a large, heavy casserole. Add onions and shallots and saute until golden. Stir in garlic and cook for about a minute. Remove the vegetables from the pan with a slotted spoon, draining them well, and set aside.
• Brown chunks of beef lightly in the fat and remove them.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Cut pastrami into 1-inch cubes and stir them into the fat, then stir in the paprika and honey. Return onions, shallots, garlic and beef to casserole. Stir in barley. Drain beans and add them.
• Add 6 cups boiling water to casserole. Cover and place in oven. Bake for 30 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 250 degrees and bake 30 minutes longer. Remove lid, season to taste with salt and pepper, then cover casserole with a piece of aluminum foil and replace the lid. Place in oven and allow to bake 7 to 8 hours or overnight.

FIGS-IN-A-BLANKET WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 400°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Stir vinegar, honey, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and 1 cup water in a medium pot. Add figs and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until figs are softened and liquid has almost evaporated and is a syrupy consistency, 7-10 minutes. Transfer figs to a plate; let cool.
• Beat egg with 1 Tbsp. water in a small bowl. If using a 14-ounce package with 1 sheet of pastry, roll pastry to an 18x12" rectangle on a lightly floured surface. If using a 17-ounce package with 2 sheets of pastry, roll each sheet to a 12x9" rectangle. Cut pastry along the 12" side into 12 (1-inch-wide) strips. Cut each strip crosswise into pieces about 4 1/2" long. You should have 48 (4 1/2x1") strips pastry.
• Scoop a heaping 1/2 tsp. cheese and press into cut side of 1 fig half. Place fig half in the center of 1 pastry strip. Brush 1 end of pastry with egg wash and roll to enclose. Transfer seam side down to prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining cheese, figs, and pastry. Brush top of each pastry with egg wash and sprinkle with seeds, if using. Bake pastries, rotating and switching sheets top to bottom halfway through, until golden brown and puffed, 15-18 minutes.
• Do Ahead
• Figs can be cooked 2 days ahead; cover and chill.

BAREFOOT CONTESSA'S CHEDDAR AND DILL SCONES

Steps:

• Mix cheese and dill together lightly in bowl and set aside.
• Mix flour, baking powder and salt together. Cut in butter with pastry blender, fork or fingertips until mixture is uniformly crumbly, like corn meal. This step may also be done in food processor and mixture transferred to large bowl.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Add eggs, all but tablespoon of cream, dill and cheese and mix very lightly but thoroughly to make soft dough. Do not overmix.
• Transfer dough to well-floured board or work surface, pat it into even square, then roll it lightly to make 12-inch square about inch thick. Mix egg yolk with remaining tablespoon of cream and brush on dough. Cut dough into 4-inch squares and cut each square on diagonal in four, to make triangles. Place triangles about 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets and bake about 20 minutes, until golden. Cool 15 minutes.