Fig Tart With Bacon And Blue Cheese Food

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 BLUE CHEESE BRUSCHETTA

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the baguette slices and toast on both sides until golden and crisp, about 8 minutes. Allow to cool, then spread with a little fig spread/preserves. Top with blue cheese chunks. Sprinkle on some basil.

BACON-WRAPPED FIGS STUFFED WITH BLUE CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°; line a baking sheet with foil.
• Lay bacon on the baking sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes, until the bacon has rendered some fat but is still pliable; drain on paper towels.
• Cut each strip of bacon in half and lay it on a cutting board.
• Slit the figs lengthwise, making a small pocket.
• Push about 1 teaspoon of the crumbled cheese into the pocket and close the slit.
• Place the fig on the bacon and roll the bacon around the fig, securing with a toothpick.
• Repeat with the remaining bacon, figs, and cheese.
• Transfer figs to a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, placing them about ½ inch apart.
• Bake in 400° oven for 10 minutes, or until bacon is crisp; remove from baking dish and serve hot or warm.
• **Make Ahead or OAMC: after step 8, Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
• Defrost the figs in the refrigerator overnight, if necessary.
• Preheat oven to 400°; let figs come to room temperature for about 20 minutes.
• Bake for 10 minutes, or until bacon is crisp; remove from baking dish and serve hot or warm.