figs

Prosciutto Wrapped Fig Hand Pies with Pecans and Gorgonzola Cheese

Hand pies are the new cupcake, says the Washington Post. Hand pies seem to be like regular pies, only smaller and more portable, call them palm-sized pastries.

I admit I never fully embraced the cupcake movement so I am not too sad to see them displaced. Which is why in 3 years of blogging I have never presented a single cupcake recipe. Not that I don't eat cupcakes (everyone eats cupcakes). I just don't celebrate them the way so many of my blogging brethren do. But hand pies are different. I can embrace something like that. After all they are designed to fit in my hand. The very definition of embraceable. So it's not really that hypocritical of me to post about hand pies with in 30 days of their coronation by The Washington Post as the next big little thing.

My version is Prosciutto-Wrapped Fig and Pecan Hand Pies with Gorgonzola. It's just one of the savory pies I am presenting in this week long tribute to all sorts of pies served before the coffee and dinner mints. This may not be a dessert pie, but it does have some sweet elements to it as well. It's a fig pie, with honey. But there is more to it than that so it is swimming in enough umami that I see this as a first course, possibly a brunch or even a not to sweet but highly decadent snack on the go.

Sippity Sup Continues »

Prosciutto Wrapped Fig and Pecan Hand Pies with Gorgonzola

Prosciutto Wrapped Fig and Pecan Hand Pies with Gorgonzola
Prep time: 60
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 2.5 c all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling surface
  • 1 t kosher salt
  • 8 oz (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 0.25 c ice water
  • 5 oz pecan pieces, shelled
  • 3 T olive oil
  • 0.5 t lemon zest
  • 0.5 t thyme leaves, minced
  • 1 pn each salt and pepper
  • 8 sli prosciutto
  • 8 whole figs, stem end trimmed
  • 4 oz gorgonzola, crumbled
  • 0 honey, as needed
  • 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Directions

Make the crust: Pulse flour and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream until dough just comes together (no longer than 30 seconds). Divide dough in half, shape each into a square, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days), or freeze for up to 1 month.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out cold dough to 1/8 inch thick. Using a paring knife, cut out eight 5-inch squares, and fit into cups of standard sized muffin tin, leaving an overhang all around. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Save the leftover dough for another use.

Make the nut filling: Put nuts in a food processor. With processor running, slowly add oil until mixture is finely chopped. Add lemon zest and thyme leaves; season with salt and pepper. Scrape mixture into a small bowl and stir until combined. Set aside.

Make the hand pies: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Divide the nut filling evenly in the bottoms of chilled dough-lined muffin tins. Warp each trimmed, whole fig with one slice of prosciutto, placing each into a nut filled dough-lined muffin tin hole. Sprinkle the tops with gorgonzola, adding a small drizzle of honey. Brush with egg wash.

Place the muffin tin in the pre-heated oven and reduce heat to 375. Bake pies until top crusts are golden brown and the figs are quite soft and the prosciutto is crisp, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely in the tin on a wire rack. Remove hand pies from tins and serve with a drizzle of honey.

duck sliders with fig ketchup

Today's journey to Duck Sliders with Fig Ketchup was a group effort. Part of that group includes my brother Grant who paired this recipe with Trimbach Gewurztraminer 2009.

But there is more to the story than that. You see, I have had duck burgers in restaurants. Both times I found fault with the preparation. Let’s face it; duck can be fatty, and rich. I love fatty… and rich too. But a 1/2-pound of fatty and rich on huge buttery brioche bun makes me a little queasy.

The other version of a duck burger I shunned was closer to duck confit on a bun. More like a Sloppy Joe than a proper burger. Had they called it a Dirty Donald or something similar and served it open-faced with poached duck egg I might have dubbed it genius. But alas, they served it with lettuce and tomato. I ended up just feeling sorry for that once proud confit.

So I set off to invent my own. The lessons I learned are two-fold. One: less is more, and Two: burgers have rules, and evidently I can be a fanatic about those rules. One of the rules I fanaticize about is simple. I like burgers to have the proper condiments. Burgers like ketchup. People like burgers with ketchup. My ground duck concoction would have ketchup.

But not just any ole Heinz will do. Duck is a fairly complex flavor, to avoid getting tagged with the "gamey" moniker it's best to augment its assets. I think duck pairs nicely with fruit and spice and sweet. It can stand up to bold acidity too. Ketchup is all those things– fig ketchup is all those things and more.

Sippity Sup Continues »

Duck Sliders with Fig Ketchup

duck slider with fig ketchup
Prep time: 180
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb figs, quartered
  • 0.5 lb diced tomatoes, use roma or other 'paste’ variety
  • 1 t coriander seeds
  • 1 t cumin seeds
  • 0.5 c palm sugar
  • 1 c malt vinegar, plus more to taste
  • 3 T pomegranate molasses, or substitute with honey
  • 0.5 t cayenne pepper, or to taste
  • 1 t thai style chili paste
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 fresh bay leaf
  • 6 boneless duck breast halves, with skin
  • 0.5 c cilantro leaves, loosely packred
  • 0.5 c panko breadcrumbs, as needed
  • 6 scallions
  • 1 t five-spice powder
  • 1 t sriracha sauce
  • 1 pn salt and pepper, as needed
  • 12 filipino pandesal rolls
  • 1 c napa cabbage, shredded

Directions

Make the fig ketchup: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay figs onto a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet. Lay the tomatoes onto a separate parchment lined rimmed baking sheet. Roast them both in the oven until they begin to color, about 15 minutes for figs about 20 minutes for tomatoes.

In a medium sauce pot, toast the coriander and cumin over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the roasted figs and tomatoes, scrapping up as much of the juice and crusty parts as possible, palm sugar, vinegar, pomegranate molasses, cayenne pepper, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf. Raise the heat to high and cook until the mixture reaches a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until it’s thick and jam-like, about 30 minutes. Let cool.

Discard the cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Use a blender or food processor to thoroughly puree the mixture, adding a splash of extra vinegar to achieve the proper consistency if necessary. Taste and adjust acidity with more vinegar to taste. Refrigerate for several hours before using.

Make the duck patties: Remove the skin from the duck breasts, then roughly chop them. Place the duck breasts and 1 of the skins (also chopped) in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 6 or 8 times until well combined and the texture resembles slightly wet, coarsely ground beef.

Transfer the duck mixture to a large bowl. Roughly chop about half of the cilantro. Add 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs, scallions, the chopped cilantro, five-spice powder, sriracha sauce, salt and pepper to the bowl. Next, handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it, mix well. You be the judge if you think you need more breadcrumbs, add too many and the burgers will get rubbery, but the meat should hold together when pinched (but just barely). Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions and form the portions into patties to fit the pandesal rolls.

Grill and assemble the sliders: Prepare a medium-hot fire for both direct and indirect cooking in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.

Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the direct heat area of the rack, cover, and cook, turning once, just until done, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Watch for flare ups. During the last few minutes of cooking, place the pandesal rolls, cut side down, on the indirect edges of the rack to toast lightly.

To assemble the burgers, place some shredded Napa cabbage, cilantro leaves onto the roll bottoms, place a duck slider on top. Spoon on some of the fig ketchup to taste. Add the roll tops and serve.

Fig Tart with Snofrisk Cream & White Balsamic Reduction

Fig Tart with Snofrisk Cream & White Balsamic Reduction
Prep time: 90
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 320 g all-purpose flour
  • 1.25 t salt
  • 115 g cold unsalted butter
  • 3 T ice water
  • 8 oz snofrisk cheese
  • 0.5 c sour cream
  • 0.25 c honey
  • 10 figs, quartered lengthwise
  • 1 c white balsamic
  • 0.25 c granulated sugar

Directions

Make the pastry: In a food processor, pulse the flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt until combined. Add the butter and process until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Add the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture begins to come together. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and form into a disc, about 1-inch thick. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. To make the tart shell, remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow to soften for a few moments. Roll into an 11-inch round. Fit the dough into a 9-inch fluted tart tin with a removable bottom, pressing the dough into the sides of the pan. Run the rolling pin over the top of the pan to trim away the excess. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Adjust the rack of the oven to the middle position. Preheat to 375 degrees F. Remove the crust from the refrigerator and prick the bottom of the pastry all over with a fork. Line the bottom with a parchment round and fill with weights or beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the weights and paper and bake an additional 7 to 10 minutes, until golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Make the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together the Snofrisk, sour bream, honey and remaining teaspoon of salt. Use a rubber spatula to smooth the mixture evenly over the cooled crust. Arrange the figs, cut sides up, in concentric circles on top. Make the reduction: Combine vinegar and sugar in a small non-reactive saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until mixture is the consistency of honey and reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely. To serve: Slice the tart into 8 pieces and drizzle each with about 1 tablespoon of the reduction sauce.

Notes:

You may substitute mascarpone cheese or other cream cheese for Snofrisk.