Fresh Figs And Peaches In Wine Recipes

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.

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.

PEACHES IN RED WINE

Steps:

• Put wine in a glass or stainless-steel bowl. Add sugar and stir to dissolve, then add lemon zest, nutmeg, ginger and black pepper. Chill well.
• Peel peaches and cut into 1/2-inch wedges. Cover with plastic wrap and chill.
• To serve, pour 1/3 to 1/2 cup chilled wine mixture into 4 to 6 wide-mouthed wineglasses or coupes. Add sliced peaches to each glass, dividing them evenly. Garnish each portion with a few blackberries, 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.

DOLCE PESCA (SWEET PEACHES)

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with foil.
• Place the figs and pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until fine. Place the halved peaches onto the prepared baking sheet, cut side up. Sprinkle evenly with the white sugar. Pour the white wine over the peaches, and stuff them with the fig mixture. Pour the brandy over the peaches.
• Bake in the preheated oven until browned, about 15 minutes.

ROASTED FIGS WITH RED WINE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a nonreactive metal saucepan, combine the red wine, sugar, honey, peppercorns, star anise and fennel pollen (or fennel fronds). Bring to a rolling boil, lower to a simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 15 to 20 minutes.While the wine liquid is coming to a simmer, prepare the figs for roasting. With a small paring knife, trim and discard the tough stems and make a small incision down the middle of the fig. Stud each fig with a sliver of lemon verbena.Once the wine has come to a boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer, and let it reduce for about 15 to 20 minutes. Place the prepared figs in a tightly packed, single layer in a deep baking dish.
• After the liquid has reduced by half, remove from the heat and pour through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Discard Solids. Cover liquid with plastic wrap and let cool for 20 minutes. Return the liquid to the same saucepan, and put it back on the heat. Bring it to a simmer, and let it reduce for another 15 minutes.Glaze the figs with the reduced liquid and place the pan in the oven. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes.
• Remove the figs from the oven and serve warm with sweetened whipped cream, ice cream or mascarpone cheese.

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 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.

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.