Best Figs Poached In Madeira With Cream Cheese Ricotta Sauce Recipes

HONEY POACHED FIGS

Steps:

• In a small or medium saucepan that's large enough to hold the figs, heat water, honey, and sugar (and vanilla and cinnamon, if using) on medium-high. Cook until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-low and add figs. Let simmer until tender but not mushy, 5-10 minutes, turning them occasionally so that each side is poached evenly. Using a slotted spoon, transfer figs to a bowl. Let the water-honey liquid continue simmering on medium-low heat until liquid reduces and thickens to a syrup consistency, about 15 more minutes. Let cool.
• Once the figs have cooled slightly, remove stems and cut in half.
• Keep sauce and figs in the refrigerator until ready to use. Serve at room temperature.
• Arrange figs and serve as desired. Figs can be served either a dollop of whipped cream, mascarpone, crème fraiche, or yogurt, or alongside desserts such as cake, cheesecake, or crepes. Drizzle with syrup.

ROASTED FIGS WITH FRESH RICOTTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Put the figs, cut side up, in a baking dish. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, and whisk in the honey, cinnamon and salt. Drizzle the hot honey butter over the figs and roast in oven until very soft, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Divide the fresh ricotta or fat free yogurt among 4 serving dishes and top with the warm figs and sauce. Enjoy!
• Cook's Note: These hot figs are really great over mixed greens or even on a toasted baguette as a crostini!

SAMBUCA POACHED FIGS WITH RICOTTA AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a small skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook pine nuts, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and season with salt.
• Simmer Sambuca with sugar in a saucepan (pan should be just large enough to hold figs upright), stirring until sugar is dissolved. Cut a very thin slice from bottom of each fig and stand figs in liquid in saucepan (figs will not be covered by liquid).
• Poach figs at a bare simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Cool slightly in liquid.
• Season ricotta with salt and pepper. Divide figs among 4 plates alongside mounds of ricotta and drizzle figs with some of poaching liquid, then sprinkle with pine nuts and serve.

MILLEFEUILLE OF FRESH FIGS AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F.
• Brush a large, shallow baking sheet with some butter and lay 1 phyllo sheet on top. (Cover remaining phyllo with a damp cloth.) Brush phyllo with butter and sprinkle on 1 teaspoon sugar. Layer another phyllo sheet on top and press down. Repeat layering until you use all sheets, ending with 1 teaspoon sugar on top. Cut phyllo stack into 32 equal squares. Bake until squares are golden brown and crisp, 15 to 17 minutes.
• Mix ricotta, sugar, lemon zest and a pinch of salt; add lemon juice to taste. Sauce: Bring vinegar and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan; continue to boil until reduced and slightly syrupy, 5 to 7 minutes. Assembly: Place a dab of ricotta mix on a plate. Top with 1 phyllo square, 1 tbsp ricotta and fig slices. Repeat for a total of 4 layers. Sprinkle with black pepper. Drizzle plate with balsamic reduction and scatter pine nuts around. Repeat.

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.

FIGS POACHED IN MADEIRA WITH CREAM CHEESE & RICOTTA SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan place the figs so that they are all standing upright. Sprinkle the figs with the sugar and the cinnamon. Add enough of the Madeira so that it comes about half way up the sides of the figs. Place the pan, covered, over low heat and poach for 40 minutes. Remove the figs from the pan, then return the pan to the stove and on high heat boil down the liquid in the pan until it has thickened somewhat and is glossy-this should take about 10 minutes or so. Pour the reduced liquid over the figs and store them in a covered flat-bottomed storage container in your refrigerator until they are chilled. Meanwhile prepare the sauce.
• Sauce: In your food processor blend the cream cheese, Ricotta cheese, tsp cinnamon, and 4 TBS sugar until well-blended. Store this in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• Final Preparation: Place 3 figs in each serving dish, spoon some of the liquid in which they have been stored over them, then top with some of the cheese mixture.