Figs Poached In White Wine And Fresh Thyme Food

WINE-POACHED FIGS

Steps:

• Trim and halve the figs, place in a saucepan with the wine, sugar, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the wine is reduced by half and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the thyme sprigs. Serve on top of an assertive cheese, such as Manchego, blue, Taleggio, or a triple cream spread over bread slices.

HONEY-AND-THYME-POACHED FIGS

Steps:

• In a saucepan bring the wine and the apple juice to a boil with the honey, the thyme, and the vanilla and simmer the mixture for 3 minutes. Add the figs and simmer the mixture, covered partially, for 5 minutes, or until the figs are very soft. Serve the figs warm with the syrup in stemmed glasses topped with the mascarpone and the zest.

FIGS POACHED IN WHITE WINE AND FRESH THYME

Steps:

• In a large, non-aluminum saucepan, combine honey and wine. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook, stirring constantly, until honey is completely dissolved.
• Add lemon peel, lemon juice, thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns.
• Place figs in wine syrup and poach over low heat, uncovered, for four minutes, turning figs every minute.
• Remove figs with a slotted spoon and place in a ceramic bowl.
• Reduce poaching liquid to about 1-1/2 cups. Spoon over figs and chill.
• Serve figs with some of the poaching liquid in individual bowls.

POACHED FRESH FIGS

Steps:

• Combine wine, sugar, lemon zest, 1 1/2 cups water, thyme, and vanilla bean in a non-reactive medium size saucepan and heat to simmer, let simmer gently for 5 minutes.
• Add figs to the syrup and continue to simmer until the figs are tender about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let figs cool about 10 minutes in the syrup. Remove and discard the thyme.
• Divide the figs among four glasses or bowls and spoon the warm syrup over the fruits. Garnish with Creme Fraiche and fresh thyme sprigs.

POACHED FRESH FIGS

Steps:

• Spread the sugar in the bottom of the pan, and pour in 1/2 cup water and the lemon juice. Set the figs in the pan, stem up, in one layer. Nestle the strips of lemon zest and the bay leaves in between the figs.
• Set the pan over low heat, and cook slowly until the sugar melts and the figs release their juices. As the juices rise in the pan, gradually raise the heat to keep them bubbling (and "galloping"). When the figs are soft and the liquid level comes halfway up their sides, in 30 minutes or more, turn off the heat, and let the figs rest in the pan for an hour or longer, to reabsorb some of the juices.
• Slowly heat the figs and juices until they're bubbling again, and cook for 30 minutes or so, until the figs are very soft (but still intact) and the juices have become thick and syrupy.
• Let the figs cool before serving. Arrange them in a serving dish if you like, with the syrup all around. Enjoy the fruit and syrup on their own, or atop vanilla ice cream, or with a soft, creamy cheese such as Taleggio or Robiola.