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Figs in Blankets With Port-Mustard Sauce
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- Total Time
- 1½ hours, plus overnight soaking and chilling
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 48small dried mission figs, stemmed, or 24 larger dried figs, stemmed and halved vertically
- 1½cups tawny port
- 1cup/225 grams salted butter (2 sticks), frozen
- 1½cups/190 grams all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
- ½cup/125 milliliters full-fat sour cream
- 3ounces Stilton or other blue cheese
- ⅓cup Dijon mustard
Preparation
- Step 1
Place figs in a 2-quart saucepan, add port, bring to a simmer, remove from heat and let soak, covered but not refrigerated, overnight.
- Step 2
Make the dough: Cut the frozen butter in 8 pieces and grate using a shredding disc of a food processor. Change to the regular blade. Add the flour and pulse 15 or 20 times, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the sour cream and pulse for a minute or so until the dough starts to come together.
- Step 3
Turn the dough out on a floured surface and knead briefly to form a smooth ball. Divide the dough in half and flatten each piece. Place each in a resealable sandwich bag, press out any air, seal the bag and use a rolling pin to roll the bag until the dough fills the bag, forming a square. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
- Step 4
Drain figs, reserving the port; you should have about a half cup of the port. Spread figs on several layers of paper towel to dry for about 30 minutes. Return the port to the saucepan and boil 6 to 8 minutes until syrupy and reduced to ¼ cup. Remove from heat and set aside. Cut a slit in each of the figs and insert a small nugget of the cheese, less than a half-inch, in each.
- Step 5
Remove the dough from their bags by cutting the bags and peeling them off. On a lightly floured board roll one square of the dough into a rectangle 8-by-12 inches. Cut it in 8 strips each an inch wide, across the width of the rectangle. Cut each strip in thirds. You should have 24 pieces, each 1-by-4 inches. Wrap 24 of the figs in the strips of dough, moistening the ends to seal. Cover a baking sheet with foil. Place the wrapped figs on the baking sheet, seam side down. Repeat with the other square of dough and figs.
- Step 6
Make the sauce: Stir the mustard into the reduced port and transfer to a serving dish. This mixture will keep, refrigerated in a covered container, at least three weeks.
- Step 7
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake wrapped figs about 35 minutes, until golden. Some of the figs may have oozed residue of the port which can be brushed off. Serve the baked figs at once or let cool and refrigerate or freeze. To reheat, let them come to room temperature, then warm at 250 degrees for 15 minutes. Serve with port-mustard sauce alongside for dipping.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
I am steeping the figs in port as I post. I am using frozen puff pastry. It's been in the fridge since yesterday. Going to cut it to size, and go from there. I'll let you know how it goes!
Step 5 gives you the sizes you need for the pastry. Just follow the size recommendations using store bought pastry.
Store bought puff pastry makes this so much easier. Delicious holiday vegetarian twist on a classic app. I call them “drunk figgies in a blanket.”
Question: is anyone egg washing the pastry dough before baking?
I used herbed chevre instead of blue cheese and it was great!
These were delicious although the cheese totally disappeared. Used phyllo for some and had the same problem.
Was anyone successful with the cheese? I stuffed mine pretty full of blue cheese and not a speck or taste of it to be found.
Photo looks like pastry is not sealed, but instructions sound like the fig is completely sealed in pastry. Advice on if fig is completely encased in pastry?
Can this be made with fresh figs?
My Stilton has disappeared mysteriously? Any suggestions for a substitute? I thought about a piece of walnut or pecan. Only cheese I gave in house is parm or cheddar.
I agree with Swenbeck-blue cheese, poof- which leaves not much in the flavor department-not a fan considering the amount of time
The blue cheese strangely disappears. Made twice, second time increasing cheese. Same problem. Sauce fantastic and saves the day.
Store bought puff pastry makes this so much easier. Delicious holiday vegetarian twist on a classic app. I call them “drunk figgies in a blanket.”
I used frozen puff pastry. It went well! Easy to figure out the size of the strips. The figs are delicious! And the sauce is such an enhancement!
I am steeping the figs in port as I post. I am using frozen puff pastry. It's been in the fridge since yesterday. Going to cut it to size, and go from there. I'll let you know how it goes!
Instructions for using store bought puff pastry please?
Step 5 gives you the sizes you need for the pastry. Just follow the size recommendations using store bought pastry.
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