Port Poached Figs & Creme Fraiche Ice Cream September 30, 2007

This dish of the fig series was my favorite surprisingly. I say this because I hardly thought anything exciting of poached figs. But what I underestimated was how the tangy creme fraiche ice cream would pair up with the warm soft figs and the perfectly complementary port syrup. I absolutely love creme fraiche in or paired with dessert because the tang cuts through some the sweetness and balances it out. This is exactly what happened with the warm slightly spiced port syrup and the creamy tangy creme fraiche ice cream. Loved the combination.

—

Creme Fraiche Ice Cream
recipe from Epicurious

1 cup half and half
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
3/4 cup sugar
6 large egg yolks
1 cup crème fraîche

Combine half and half and cream in heavy large saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to boil. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.

Using electric mixer, beat sugar and yolks in large bowl until thick and pale yellow, about 4 minutes. Gradually beat in warm cream mixture. Return mixture to saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until custard thickens and leaves path on spoon when finger is drawn across, about 6 minutes (do not boil). Remove from heat. Cool 15 minutes. Discard vanilla bean. Whisk in crème fraîche. Cover and chill custard until cold, about 3 hours.

Process custard in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer ice cream to covered container. Freeze until firm.

*I used only heavy cream for the base instead of the mix with the half-and-half.

—

Figs Poached in Port
recipe from Sara’s Secrets

3 cups tawny port
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1 (3-inch) strips orange peel
8 whole black peppercorns
12 black mission figs, ripe yet firm

Combine the port sugar, vanilla pods and seeds, cinnamon, orange peel and peppercorns in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Simmer until the liquid has the consistency of a light syrup, about 20 minutes. You will have about 1 1/2 cups of syrup. Add the figs and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and cool the figs in the syrup. Serve the figs in a bowl with their juices spooned over.

*I used ruby port because that’s what I had at home.

Fig Buttermilk Buckwheat Pancakes September 27, 2007

It’s a new season. Perhaps it’s time to clean out the pantry of the lingering items. Amongst the guilty is a bag of buckwheat pancake/waffle mix that’s been sitting in my freezer. Blueberry pancakes were to take center stage but it’s fig season so I obliged.

When I took out the bag my eyes read “buckwheat pancake/waffle mix” but my head read “buckwheat flour”. So I accidently added more flour and baking powder to the already floured and baking powdered mix. The pancakes however were a success. More so than when I followed the recipe on the back of the bag the first time around. Fluffy, hearty, and sweet from the little bites of fig. Perhaps it was the buttermilk. Perhaps it was the fresh figs. Whatever it was it worked and made a delicious breakfast. I ate mine folded up, sans maple syrup, feeding my tummy while driving to work.

—

Fig Buttermilk Buckwheat Pancakes

1 cup buckwheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp brown sugar
tiny pinch of salt
10 diced figs

Whisk dry. Add wet. Fold in figs. Cook over medium heat in a non-stick pan. Easy peasy.

Fig Financiers September 25, 2007

I had my first financier from Boule not too long ago and man was it good. It was apricot, it was buttery, it was heaven. Thought I’d give it a whirl using figs plus I was looking for a recipe to use up my almond meal which has been sitting unused in my pantry for too long. I used the recipe from Joy of Baking website and added about 4 diced figs. Financiers have A LOT of butter in it I warn you but if it didn’t it wouldn’t be so good nor would it be a proper financier. They are by the way little French tea cakes supposedly first made in the financial area of Paris, baked in little rectangle pans that made them shaped like little bricks of gold. They are addicting. I’ve never looked so forward to baking something again. Of course this does no good for my healthy eating plan..

—

Financier
Joy of Baking

1/3 cup (5 tablespoons) (85 grams) beurre noisette (will need 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter)
1/4 cup (35 grams) all purpose flour
1/2 cup (50 grams) almond flour (meal) or ground blanched almonds
3/4 cup (90 grams) confectioners’ (powdered or icing) sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Fresh berries (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) with the rack in the center of the oven. Place the almond flour (meal) or blanched almonds on a baking sheet and bake 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool. If you are using the whole almonds process in a food processor until finely ground. Set aside.

Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Place 12 rectangular or boat shaped molds on a large baking sheet. (Can also use 12 mini muffin molds.)

To make the beurre noisette: In order to end up with 1/3 cup beurre noisette, place 1/2 cup unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium low heat. Once the butter has melted let it come to a boil. As it boils you will notice that a foam will appear on the surface. Continue to cook the butter until it looks clear and the milk solids have dropped to the bottom of the pan and have turned dark brown. Remove from heat and immediately strain through a cheesecloth-lined strainer. Let cool to room temperature before using. You will have more than 1/3 cup of beurre noisette. Use the remaining beurre noisette to grease the molds. Using a pastry brush lightly grease the molds and allow the butter to set. Set aside while you make the batter.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, ground almonds, powdered sugar and salt. Fold in the lightly beaten egg whites, vanilla, and the 1/3 cup beurre noisette. Fill each mold almost to the rim and bake for 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and place a few berries on top of each. Return the molds to the oven and bake a further 5-7 minutes or until the Financiers have become light brown on top and are springy to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. These are best eaten the same day you make them. (The batter will keep a few days in the refrigerator.)

Makes 12 Financiers.

Prosciutto, Fig & Doux de Montagne Panini September 24, 2007

Moving on with the fig theme…

I apologize for the messy appearance of this panini. However it is redeemed by the fact it tasted delicious. On Trader Joe’s Pan Rustique I spread some fig gastrique I had leftover from the duck dish, then sliced fresh figs, few layers of prosciutto, basil and a cheese that is new to me, Doux de Montagne. It’s a creamy nutty cow’s milk cheese from the Pyrenees. I got acquainted with it at Whole Foods as it was one of them cheeses laid out as sample. Usually I take a piece of cheese and leave but this one was so good I just had to get a wedge. The combination of the creamy cheese, salty prosciutto, sweet and tart figs and fig gastrique made happy between the crispy crusty bread.

Fig, Prosciutto & Parmesan Salad September 23, 2007

The classic combination of prosciutto and fig came together on my plate today in the form of a beautiful and simple salad. Ripe figs crosscut and squeezed on the base to reveal some of the flesh, prosciutto torn lengthwise into strands, few leaves of arugula, and shaved parmigiano reggiano. Drizzled with high quality balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, the salad came together with its delicious combination of salty, sweet, nutty, tangy, and meaty goodness. Post picture-taking I remembered I had some mint in the fridge so tore up a few leaves to brighten up the salad.

Pan-Roasted Duck Breast with Fig Gastrique September 20, 2007

In pursuit of adventures with figs I decided to gastrique a go. Gastrique is “a reduced mixture of vinegar and sugar used in the preparation of hot sauces accompanying dishes made with fruit (such as duck with orange). Gastrique is prepared by heating the ingredients together (seasoning as necessary) until the liquid has almost entirely evaporated.” [Larousse Gastronomic]. What better to go with a figgy fruit sauce than duck?

I picked up two ducks breasts from Whole Foods and here is what I found when I got home: (1) it was double duck breast – that is, two duck breasts still attached; (2) one was soooo frickin tiny; (3) there was cartilage left on the meat; (4) the tiny set of duck breasts had lil hairs not all plucked out. If I’m paying Whole Foods prices for these I sure do not want to butcher my own meat or pluck out duck hairs with my fingers!

Anyhow, I only plucked a few then gave up since there were so many. I figured I would cook it with the skin on and later remove the offending hairy skin. But later when I was tasting the oh so delicious duck breast with the skin all browned and crispy I totally forgot about the hairs and honestly they were undetectable. All I did for the duck was to season it with salt and pepper, score the skin, brown it on the skin side to render the fat, flipped them over and finished them in the oven for a few minutes. They didn’t turn out as pink as I would have liked but my brain wasn’t processing smartly and didn’t think Hey these ducks breasts are really small. I should probably cook them a few minutes than most recipes say.

For the gastrique I looked up a bunch of recipes online and compared them to get an idea of what the vinegar and sugar proportions should be. There was a huge variation so I just went with more vinegar than sugar since I like less sweetness. The Top Chef fig gastrique recipe used port and cider vinegar so I went ahead and followed their lead. I have a really old bottle of port in my fridge. I know I’m not supposed to keep it this long but I couldn’t bear to throw it away being more than half-full. The gastrique tasted just fine, thank goodness.

Oh and the green stuff on the base is swiss chard, blanched then sauteed with garlic. Enjoy!

—

Fig Gastrique
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/6 cup port
1 small shallot, minced
1/2 sprig of rosemary
4 figs, small diced

Heat sugar in a heavy bottomed saucepan until it dissolves and turns golden brown. Carefully pour in vinegar and port. It will bubble and hiss and be a lil scary of take caution and keep your face away from the pot. Add shallot, fig, rosemary, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Reduce until syrupy and break up the fruit a lil bit with a spoon or spatula.

Figs September 19, 2007

Tis the season of figs. I didn’t have much luck last year cooking with figs. It was kind of my first encounter with them. I tried roasting them after stuffing the crosscut cavity with mascarpone but it didn’t work out. The masacarpone melted away and the whole thing turned into a mess.

But this year I thought I’d give it another go. So I made a fig tart the past weekend. It turned out just so-so. It wasn’t a disaster like last year but definitely no mouth-watering instances either. I messed up on the walnut crust which turned out way too crispy and not buttery enough. Overall kind of dry. It at least needed whipped cream but all I had was creme fraiche. Sigh. Fig troubles.

But I’m not going to give up! I’m going to cook em figs. Up there is a photo of the overly imperfect fig tart. At least the pattern of the fig slices is pretty.

Corn Risotto with Pea Shoots September 6, 2007

Thai Beef Salad September 5, 2007

The past Labor Day weekend was crazy hot! I was just melting away the whole three days. However, Julie and I trekked out to the San Gabriel to meet our other coworker for some dim sum at MPV and to do some food shopping at 99 Ranch.

I was really looking forward to 99 Ranch for some fresh and cheap produce. I picked up baby bokchoy, long beans, beech mushrooms, pea shoots, melon and.. lemongrass! Just what I needed to make Thai Beef Salad. It was hot as hell but somehow I motivated myself to face the heat for a bit and cook the steaks.

For the dressing I made the standard mix of fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, Thai chilies, lemongrass and sugar. I love Thai chilies. They have quite a kick. I picked up a bundle of branches at the farmer’s market couple weeks ago which I left on the branch and they were still good to use this weekend.

I salted and peppered two New York strip steaks. Seared it in a pan and finished it in a 350 degree oven for about 5-7 minutes. Something like that. My meat technical skills aren’t quite honed yet but the steak turned out juicy and pink so hooray! I let them rest on a cutting board when they came out of the oven. While they were resting I sliced up a head of romaine, a crispy Korean cucumber, scallion and some cilantro. Then sliced the steak thinly against the grain and assembled with the veges and topped with the dressing.

The Thai beef salad was exactly what a hot evening was calling for. Minus the cooking the steak part.

Heirlooom Tomato, Mozzarella & Basil Sandwich September 4, 2007

I went to the Santa Monica farmer’s market over the weekend and of course I had to pick up some heirloom tomatoes. I’ll be so sad when the tomato season passes. With this looming grief I was able to get myself up early enough to drive down to the westside.

My favorite way to eat perfectly ripe heirloom tomatoes is straight up. They don’t need anything really. But I also love them in a good ol’ blt, my favorite sandwich ever. I’ve been trying to eat less meat lately so I decided to make a no meat tomato sandwich. I picked up a still warm freshly baked ciabatta and Gioia mozzarella from Bay Cities. Assembled together with a lil mayo and basil it made for great lunch.

Don’t let the simple looks fool ya. This was a top notch sandwich with juicy slices of sweet tomato and creamy slices of tender mozzarella which I gobbled down sitting outside the Central Library during my study bread while fighting off dirty pigeons. They know what’s up with the sandwich.