Spiced Figs Poached In Wine Food

SPICED FIGS POACHED IN WINE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the first eight ingredients. Stir in figs. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 35-45 minutes or until the figs are tender. Remove figs and set aside., Bring poaching liquid to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup. Strain into a small bowl; add figs. Cool. Serve with ice cream or yogurt if desired.

SPICED POACHED FIGS

Steps:

• Combine wine, sugar, lemon peel, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, thyme, ginger, star anise, and cardamom in a small, deep saucepan. Place pan over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 10 minutes. Cover, and simmer 20 minutes more.
• Add whole figs to the syrup; return to a simmer, cover, and poach gently until the figs are soft but not mushy, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer figs and syrup to a bowl, and let stand to cool, until no more steam rises. When cool, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
• Combine mascarpone and confectioners' sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Slit vanilla bean lengthwise, and, using a small paring knife, scrape out the seeds into the bowl with the mascarpone mixture. Stir together with a spoon or rubber spatula until well combined.
• Remove chilled figs from the refrigerator, and let stand until room temperature. Transfer figs to another bowl, and strain syrup, discarding the solids.
• Place 2 figs, sliced in half, in the center of each plate. Spoon some of the poaching liquid to cover plate, and place a dollop of vanilla mascarpone next to figs.

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.

ORANGES AND FIGS IN SPICED RED WINE

Steps:

• Combine the wine, sugar and bouquet garni in a saucepan large enough to contain the oranges and figs in a single layer. Bring to a simmer, covered, over moderate heat. Add the figs and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the oranges and turn them for 3 to 4 minutes, turning them so they cook evenly. Turn the heat off and let the oranges and figs cool in the syrup.
• Remove them to a serving bowl. Reduce the syrup by half and let cool. Discard bouquet garni and spoon syrup over figs and oranges. Garnish with walnuts or pistachios if you wish.

POACHED FIGS IN SPICED HONEY SYRUP

Steps:

• Combine water, sugar and honey in heavy large skillet. Stir over low heat until sugar and honey dissolve. Add allspice, cloves and juniper berries. Bring to simmer. Add figs, cover and simmer until figs are just tender, about 20 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer figs to bowl. Chill until cold.
• Bring cooking liquid to boil. Boil until reduced to syrup consistency, about 5 minutes. Strain. Cool.
• Arrange figs in dessert goblets. Drizzle syrup over. Garnish with mint and serve.

FIGS POACHED IN PORT

Steps:

• 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.

POACHED FIGS IN SPICED RED WINE WITH VANILLA GELATO

Steps:

• In a saucepan combine the wine, sugar, cinnamon and cloves. Bring the liquid to a boil over moderately high heat, stirring, and simmer the mixture for 5 minutes. Add the figs and simmer just until figs are heated through. Let cool to warm. Arrange scoops of gelato in two stemmed glasses and top with the figs and some of the poaching liquid. Garnish with mint if desired.

FIGS POACHED IN RED WINE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until figs are easily pierced with the tip of a sharp paring knife, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• With a slotted spoon, transfer figs to a bowl; simmer remaining liquid until reduced to about 1/3 cup, 3 to 5 minutes (liquid should look syrupy and coat the back of a spoon). Pour through a fine-mesh sieve over figs, and let cool slightly. (If refrigerating, bring to room temperature before serving.) Serve figs and syrup over ice cream or whipped ricotta cheese, if desired.

PEARS AND FIGS POACHED IN RED WINE

Steps:

• Combine wine, water, sugar, cinnamon, peppercorns, honey, and vanilla bean in a large saucepan. Squeeze in lemon juice, using a strainer to catch seeds, and toss in one of the halves. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, peel pears carefully, leaving stems intact. Place in hot poaching liquid and cover with a lid slightly smaller than the pot to keep pears submerged.
• Turn heat down to a bare simmer and poach pears for 20 to 30 minutes, or until tender (if the pears are not ripe, it could take up to an hour). Turn pears halfway through cooking time. Let cool slightly, then transfer pears to a bowl. Simmer poaching liquid until reduced by half
• Cut figs in half and add to liquid cut side down. Keep heat at a simmer, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. (If using dried figs, poach until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.)
• Carefully transfer figs cut side down to the bowl with the pears, and pour poaching liquid over all. Let cool and chill at least 4 hours, or overnight.
• With a slotted spoon, remove fruit from liquid and place 1 pear and 2 fig halves on each plate. Reduce poaching liquid over medium heat until thick enough to coat a spoon. Serve hot or cold with the fruit. Accompany with a few cookies, whipped cream, or a sweet dessert cheese.

POACHED PEARS IN SPICED RED WINE

Steps:

• Halve the vanilla pod lengthways, scrape out the black seeds and put in a large saucepan with the wine, sugar, cinnamon and thyme. Cut each piece of pod into three long thin strips, add to pan, then lower in the pears.
• Poach the pears, covered, for 20-30 mins, making sure they are covered in the wine. The cooking time will very much depend on the ripeness of your pears - they should be tender all the way through when pierced with a cocktail stick. You can make these up to 2 days ahead and chill.
• Take the pears from the pan, then boil the liquid to reduce it by half so that it's syrupy. Serve each pear with the cooled syrup, a strip of vanilla, a piece of cinnamon and a small thyme sprig.

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.