Sambuca-Poached Figs

October 20 2010
Posted in Recipes - SF Bay Area Recipes

Recipe by Katie Kadue

Adapted from Gourmet.com

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup pine nuts

3/4 cup Sambuca

2 tablespoons sugar

12 firm-ripe fresh purple figs

3/4 cup fresh whole-milk ricotta

Salt & pepper

Heat oil in a small skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Add pine nuts and cook, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and season with salt.

Simmer Sambuca with sugar in a saucepan just large enough to hold figs upright, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Cut a very thin slice from bottom of each fig so that figs can stand 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, drizzle figs with poaching liquid, then sprinkle with toasted pine nuts. Serve immediately.