Recipe Archives
August: Fig
Whether savored on their own, as an accompaniment to cheese, or in a dessert that celebrates their sweet and luscious flavor, figs are a delectable addition to your culinary repertoire.
Buying: When buying fresh figs, select ones that are soft and plump with firm stems. While there are more than 150 varieties of figs, the most common commercial varieties include:
• The black fig, which is sweet and dry.
• The green fig, which succulent and thin-skinned.
• The purple fig, which is the juiciest, sweetest and rarest of the three.
Storing: Fresh figs are highly perishable. They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, but wrap them well to prevent them from absorbing odors.
Preparing: Fresh figs are a low maintenance food in terms of preparation. Simply wash them gently and briefly in water before eating. Dried figs can be eaten as is. They make an excellent addition to salads, and pair well with cheeses. Figs also play a role in savory dishes, blending well with rabbit, poultry, and game.
Facts: Figs have a chameleon-like quality. Roasted figs are used as a coffee substitute, and North Africans use figs to make boukha, a popular spirit.
Fig Financier Tart
Makes one 10-inch tart, enough to serve 6-8 people
Ingredients:
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing a tart pan
3 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup almond flour
6 large egg whites, at room temperature
24 figs, about 2 ½ pints, halved, stems removed
Method:
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Put the butter in a small sauté pan and cook over medium heat until it melts and turns brown, 7 to 9 minutes.
Put the confectioners’ sugar, flour, almond flour, and egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed until smooth. Add the brown butter and mix well on medium speed. Stop the motor, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and mix again.
Butter a 10-inch tart pan and arrange the fig halves, cute side down, in a circular pattern, leaving about ¼ inch of space between fig halves. Pour the batter evenly over the figs.
Bake the tart until the batter rises around the figs, turns golden-brown, and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, approximately 15 minutes.
Cool the tart. Invert it onto a platter by placing the platter or cake plate over the pan and holding the two together. Invert them to transfer the tart to the plate. Slice into individual portions, serve warm or at room temperature.
VARIATION: This dessert can also be made with berries or apricots.