Best 11 Poached Figs With Fresh Ricotta Cheese Recipes

ROASTED FIGS WITH FRESH RICOTTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Put the figs, cut side up, in a baking dish. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, and whisk in the honey, cinnamon and salt. Drizzle the hot honey butter over the figs and roast in oven until very soft, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Divide the fresh ricotta or fat free yogurt among 4 serving dishes and top with the warm figs and sauce. Enjoy!
• Cook's Note: These hot figs are really great over mixed greens or even on a toasted baguette as a crostini!

FRESH FIGS WITH RICOTTA AND HONEY

Steps:

• Using a sharp knife, split each fig down the middle, starting at the tapered stem and slicing down to the broad bottom, being careful not to cut all the way through the fig and stopping about 1/4 inch from the bottom of the fig.
• Scatter the pistachios in a shallow bowl or on a small plate. Drizzle the honey on a small plate.
• Using the tip of a smallish spoon, fill the split center of each fig with a generous dollop of ricotta.
• Gently grasp each fig by its sides but without tightly squeezing it. Dip the fig, bottom first, in the honey and then in the pistachios. Arrange the figs on a large plate or platter.
• Drizzle the figs with additional honey to taste and, if desired, sprinkle with the fresh mint. Serve as soon as you can...as if you could resist doing anything else. Originally published September 20, 2011.

HONEY POACHED FIGS

Steps:

• In a small or medium saucepan that's large enough to hold the figs, heat water, honey, and sugar (and vanilla and cinnamon, if using) on medium-high. Cook until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-low and add figs. Let simmer until tender but not mushy, 5-10 minutes, turning them occasionally so that each side is poached evenly. Using a slotted spoon, transfer figs to a bowl. Let the water-honey liquid continue simmering on medium-low heat until liquid reduces and thickens to a syrup consistency, about 15 more minutes. Let cool.
• Once the figs have cooled slightly, remove stems and cut in half.
• Keep sauce and figs in the refrigerator until ready to use. Serve at room temperature.
• Arrange figs and serve as desired. Figs can be served either a dollop of whipped cream, mascarpone, crème fraiche, or yogurt, or alongside desserts such as cake, cheesecake, or crepes. Drizzle with syrup.

ANTIPASTO PLATTER

Steps:

• 1. Assemble the meats and cheeses on a large cutting board or flat platter to come to room temperature at least 30 minutes before serving.
• 2. Place cheese knives next to each kind of cheese, small forks for the meats, and a small bowl for anything like olive pits or used toothpicks.
• 3. If time permits, serve with at least one simple homemade item like: Honey Ricotta Pears, Wine-Poached Figs, or Warm Mediterranean Olives.
• 4. Place the bread and crackers in a basket on the side or directly on the board. Arrange the fruits and nuts on the board or in small decorative bowls. Serve with red and white wine.
• 1. Halve and core the pear, then cut into slices, leaving the stem-end intact and not cutting through to separate the slices. Squeeze the lemon juice over the cut side of the pear halves.
• 2. Season the ricotta with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, then place in 2 mounds on a plate. Top the ricotta mounds with the sliced pear halves, gently fanning out the slices. Drizzle the pears with honey and sprinkle with the pine nuts.
• 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 blue, Taleggio, or a triple cream, spread over the bread slices.
• Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar, vinegar, cinnamon stick, orange peel, and olives. Season with salt and pepper.

FRESH FETTUCCINE WITH FIGS, PROSCIUTTO AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a heavy baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray.
• Arrange the prosciutto in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes until crispy. Drain on paper towels. When cool enough to handle, crumble the prosciutto into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Cut the pasta dough in quarters and press flat. Run each piece of pasta dough several times through a pasta-rolling machine, adjusting the setting each time until the pasta is about 1/16-inch thick. Add the fettuccine attachment and run the pasta sheets through. Dust the fettuccine lightly with flour to avoid sticking.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the olive oil and pasta. Cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes. Place the pasta in a large serving bowl.
• For the sauce: In a medium saucepan, combine the figs, broth, orange juice, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the goat cheese, mascarpone cheese and lemon zest until the sauce is creamy.
• Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta and toss until all the ingredients are coated. Top with the crumbled prosciutto and serve.
• Place the cake flour, all-purpose flour, egg yolks and salt in a food processor. Pulse to combine. With the machine running, gradually add the oil then 1/3 to 1/2 cup water until the mixture forms a dough (the dough should stick together if pinched between your fingers). If necessary, add additional water, 1 teaspoon at a time if the dough is too dry.
• Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Gather the dough into a ball and knead until the dough is smooth, 5 to 8 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Cut the dough into quarters and press flat. Run each piece of pasta dough several times through a pasta-rolling machine, adjusting the setting each time, until the pasta is about 1/8 to 1/16-inch thick. Cut the pasta into the desired shape and use as needed.

CROSTINI WITH POACHED FIGS AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan combine the wine, 2 tablespoons of the honey, the figs and star anise. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the figs are plump and tender, about 20 minutes.
• Transfer the figs to a cutting board to cool for 5 minutes. Then cut the figs into 1/4-inch slices. Discard the anise and bring the liquid back up to a boil over medium heat. Cook until the mixture is thick and reduced to 1/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Transfer the syrup to a small bowl and cool to room temperature.
• Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.
• Place the pancetta on a baking sheet and bake until the slices are crispy and brown, about 6 minutes. Set aside to cool then roughly chop.
• Brush the bread slices with the oil. Place on a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.
• In a medium bowl combine the goat cheese, lemon juice, remaining 1 teaspoon honey, the chopped mint and the salt. Spread 1 tablespoon of the goat cheese mixture onto each crostini. Top with fig slices, pancetta crumbles and a sprinkle of sliced mint. Just before serving, drizzle with the reserved syrup.

FIGS WITH RICOTTA, PISTACHIO, AND HONEY

Steps:

• Toast the pistachios in a dry skillet over a medium-high heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool. Chop coarsely.
• Cut each fig in half crosswise and place the fig pieces on a serving dish, cut side up. Make a small indentation into the cut side of each fig half with a small spoon or your finger. Put 1/2 teaspoon of the ricotta cheese onto each piece of fig and top with a pistachio. Drizzle with honey and serve.

FIGS POACHED IN MADEIRA WITH CREAM CHEESE & RICOTTA SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan place the figs so that they are all standing upright. Sprinkle the figs with the sugar and the cinnamon. Add enough of the Madeira so that it comes about half way up the sides of the figs. Place the pan, covered, over low heat and poach for 40 minutes. Remove the figs from the pan, then return the pan to the stove and on high heat boil down the liquid in the pan until it has thickened somewhat and is glossy-this should take about 10 minutes or so. Pour the reduced liquid over the figs and store them in a covered flat-bottomed storage container in your refrigerator until they are chilled. Meanwhile prepare the sauce.
• Sauce: In your food processor blend the cream cheese, Ricotta cheese, tsp cinnamon, and 4 TBS sugar until well-blended. Store this in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• Final Preparation: Place 3 figs in each serving dish, spoon some of the liquid in which they have been stored over them, then top with some of the cheese mixture.

SAMBUCA POACHED FIGS WITH RICOTTA AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a small skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook pine nuts, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and season with salt.
• Simmer Sambuca with sugar in a saucepan (pan should be just large enough to hold figs upright), stirring until sugar is dissolved. Cut a very thin slice from bottom of each fig and stand figs 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 and drizzle figs with some of poaching liquid, then sprinkle with pine nuts and serve.

FRESH RICOTTA

Steps:

• Combine milk, cream, and salt in a 4- to 5-quart pot, and warm mixture over medium-high heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon to prevent scorching, until mixture registers 195 degrees on a candy thermometer. It should take about 15 minutes.
• Add lemon juice, gently stirring until just combined. Remove pot from heat and let stand 5 minutes. The combination of the acid and the residual heat in the mixture will cause it to coagulate, or curdle -- separating into a soft mass (curds) and a cloudy liquid (whey).
• After lining a mesh colander with a triple layer of cheesecloth and placing it inside a deeper, slightly larger bowl, gently pour curds and whey into colander. Let mixture stand, pouring off whey occasionally, until most of whey has drained from still-wet curds, 20 minutes.
• Gather up ricotta in cheesecloth and turn it out into a bowl. Serve within a few hours, or refrigerate up to 4 days. For a denser ricotta, which can be preferable for baking, hang it to drain for another hour. Repurpose whey or discard it.

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.