Posts tagged figs

Fig, Coconut and Chocolate Tart

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Fig, Coconut and Chocolate Tart

 

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This is another gem of a recipe that I’d hungrily bookmarked too long ago from a fairly vintage and thumbed copy of Vogue’s ‘Entertaining and Travel’. Being unavailable in the UK, I’ve only a prized handful of these gorgeous and teasing magazines from a friends visits to Dubai. However, the recipes are a pleasing port of call for inspiration and I shall attribute the belated testing of this recipe to ‘savouring’ of my limited supply.

With a punnet of figs putting on a brave face in the face of an over-ripe death sitting safely in the fridge it seemed like an Autumn pleaser. With the added bonus that I ADORE anything with coconut it certainly was pleasing…

Makes 1 large tart (or use smaller ones if preferred)

Pastry

  • 225g plain flour
  • 2 tbsp icing sugar
  • 125g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
  • 1 egg

Filling

  • 200g desiccated coconut
  • 300ml weak, cooled tea
  • 5 eggs
  • 220g caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Grated zest 1 lemon
  • 100g dark chocolate, chopped (Min 70%)
  • 6 figs
  • Honey to glaze

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  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease and line a 26cm, deepish tart tin.
  2. For the pastry, place the butter, flour and icing sugar in food processor and blend until you get a breadcrumb-like texture (or rub together by hand). Add the beaten egg and combine until you form a smooth dough, being gentle when handling. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  3. Roll the chilled pastry onto a floured surface and line the greased tart tin. Place on a baking tray and chill for at least 30 minutes.
  4. Line with baking paper and fill generously with baking beans and bake blind for 15-20 minutes until the edges are a light golden. Remove the beans and return to the oven to allow the base to cook and turn pale gold. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin.
  5. Reduce the oven to 170°C.
  6. Place the coconut in a large bowl and cover with the tea. Whisk the eggs, sugar, vanilla and lemon together in another bowl before adding the soaked coconut.
  7. Scatter the chopped chocolate over the base of the pastry case and top with the coconut-egg filling.
  8. Bake for about 30-35 minutes until set and golden. Leave to cool in the tin.
  9. Slice the figs into circles and place on top of the cooled tart in concentric circles. Warm a few tbsps of runny honey in a sauce pan and use a pastry brush to glaze the figs. Scatter with more coconut and serve with a large spoonful of lime/lemon scented mascarpone if you like!

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Saffron, Fig and Chicken Tagine

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Saffron, Fig and Chicken Tagine

 

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This recipe is one from the archive. My mum and I always collect recipes we want to cook or for inspiration when seen in magazines and newspapers and this one has been patiently and modestly waiting since…wait for it…1999 from a senescent copy of ‘Good Housekeeping’ magazine. But, sometimes the old ones are the best. With a few tweaks here and there to suit our tastes, it was a crowd pleaser!

Serves 4

  • 8 free range chicken thighs
  • 2 onions
  • 3cm piece ginger, chopped/grated
  • 1 heaped tsp coriander seeds
  • Large pinch saffron strands
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 200g dried figs
  • 200g cous cous
  • 1 heaped tsp hot harissa paste or 1 hot red chilli, chopped finely
  • 50g toasted flaked almonds
  • 50g raisins
  • Bunch parsley, chopped
  • Bunch fresh mint, chopped
  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C.
  2. Heat a splash of oil in a heavy based casserole dish. Cut the onions into quarters, leaving the root in tack so that the chunks stay nicely together (optional) and fry gently for 10 minutes of so until soft and golden.
  3. Add the grated ginger and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  4. Add the coriander seeds, saffron, turmeric and the cinnamon stick and stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes and then scatter in the figs. Set aside.
  5. Heat a frying pan until really hot. Season the chicken thighs and fry, skin side down, for about 10 minutes over a high heat to brown the chicken and crisp up the skin.
  6. Place the chicken thighs on top of the onions and figs in a single layer. Pour 500ml of boiling water around the chicken (preferably not over it), cover with a lid and cook for 45 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
  7. About 5 minutes before it is ready, place a serving dish in the oven to heat up. When ready, remove the chicken, figs and onion to the dish and keep warm in the oven. A good idea is to stick on the grill to crisp up the chicken skin but keep and eye on it if you do.
  8. You should have at least 300ml of the juices left in the dish for the cous cous but top up with boiling water if not. Bring to the boil on the hob and add the harissa or chilli. Remove from the heat and add the cous cous, raisins, almonds, all bar a pinch of the herbs and cover with a lid and leave to absorb for a few minutes.
  9. When ready to serve, stir the cous cous and pile it high onto your serving platter. Top with the reserved chicken and figs and any juices and scatter with the herbs!
  10. Enjoy with a nice, simply dressed lemony green salad.

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