Sweet Potato Toast With Apple Fig And Maple Compote Food

SWEET POTATO TOAST WITH APPLE, FIG AND MAPLE COMPOTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Slice off the 4 long sides of each of the sweet potatoes so the potatoes are squared off and sit flat on a cutting board. Slice the potatoes lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick planks, about 5-inches-by-2-inches (you should get 3 planks per sweet potato). Combine the sweet potatoes and melted butter in a medium bowl and toss gently to coat. Spread them out on a baking sheet and roast, flipping halfway through, until lightly browned and tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. Remove the sweet potato toasts to 2 plates.
• Meanwhile, combine the cider, maple syrup, cinnamon, apples and remaining tablespoon butter in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook until the apples are soft, about 20 minutes. Uncover, mash with a potato masher or the back of a fork and continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and it has the consistency of chunky applesauce, about 5 minutes. Stir in the figs and let cool slightly. Divide the applesauce among the toasts and sprinkle with the granola. Serve immediately.

SOUFFLE PANCAKE WITH APPLE-PEAR COMPOTE

Steps:

• Make the compote: Soak the prunes and tea bags in 1 cup boiling water, 20 minutes. Discard the tea bags.
• Transfer the prunes and soaking liquid to a small saucepan. Add the sugar, salt, vanilla seeds and pod, lemon zest and cognac and cook over medium heat until syrupy, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the apples and pears and reduce the heat to low; cover and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Cover and chill at least 2 hours or up to 1 week.
• Make the pancake: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Melt the butter in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Transfer 2 tablespoons of the melted butter to a blender (reserve the rest in the skillet off the heat). Add the eggs, salt and half-and-half to the blender and blend. Add the flour and blend until smooth. Add the orange zest, orange juice and almond extract and blend.
• Heat the skillet with the reserved butter over medium-high heat; swirl to coat. Add the batter, transfer to the oven and bake until puffed and golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Reheat the compote, if desired; discard the lemon zest and vanilla pod. Dust the pancake with confectioners' sugar; serve with the compote.

MAGRET OF DUCK WITH FIG AND SHALLOT COMPOTE

Steps:

• In a skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 10 minutes. Add the wine, chicken stock, figs, lemon zest, sugar, and cloves. Decrease the heat to low and simmer until the figs are very soft but still retain their shape, about 30 to 45 minutes. Then increase the heat to high and simmer until the sauce thickens, 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place the duck breasts on a work surface, skin side up. Using a sharp knife, score the skin in a grid pattern, going through half the thickness of the skin but not through to the meat.
• Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the duck breasts, skin side down, and cook until the skin is golden and the fat from the skin has rendered, 6 to 8 minutes. Turn the duck breasts over, season with salt and pepper, and transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook until the duck breasts are medium-rare, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Remove the skillet from the oven, remove the duck, cover it with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. In the meantime, warm the fig sauce.
• Cut each duck breast on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Fan the slices out on each plate, spoon the warm sauce over the top, and serve.

FIG TOASTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees or its highest possible setting. Toast the bread: lay the bread slices directly on the oven rack and toast in the heated oven until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Place the toast on 4 warmed plates.
• Meanwhile, trim stems off the figs. Slice the figs in half and dip them in sugar, turning so they are well coated. Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter, add the almonds, and saute until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Set them aside. Heat the remaining butter in a skillet until foaming. Add the figs, cut side down, and saute until done, turning once, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Set the figs on the toast and spoon over the pan juices. Top each toast with yogurt and a sprinkling of toasted almonds. Serve at once so the toast stays crisp.

SWEET-POTATO TOAST 4 WAYS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, drizzle potatoes with oil and season with salt; toss to coat. Arrange in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast, flipping once, until tender and beginning to caramelize, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. Toasts can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 week.