If you're lucky enough to live where really good figs are available, here is a tasty fresh fig crostata.
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 2/3 cups (200 g) all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup butter, broken into bits
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 egg + 4 yolks
- 1 1/8 cup milk
- 3 teaspoons corn starch
- 2 tablespoons orange peel, cut into thin strips
- 1 tablespoon apricot jelly
- A pinch of grated orange zest
- A shot of Gran Marnier
- 8 figs
- Salt
- 2 cups dried beans
Preparation:
Using a pastry cutter, rapidly cut the butter into the flour, together with a half cup of sugar, the whole egg, the grated orange peel, and a pinch of salt, so as to obtain a uniform dough. Shape the dough into a ball, cover it with plastic warp, and chill it in the least cold part of the refrigerator for at least a half hour.
To make the pastry cream, whip the yolks with 4 tablespoons of sugar, incorporate the corn starch, and then the milk and the Gran Marnier. Cook the cream over a low flame, stirring gently but constantly (if this is the first time you are doing this, you may wish to cook it over a double boiler; do not let it burn) until it thickens. Blanch the orange peels three times in boiling water, changing the water each time, and pat them dry. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 360·.
Make a syrup by boiling the remaining sugar in a cup of water. Add the orange peel, and simmer it until it has become translucent; drain the strips on wax paper, and let them cool (do not throw out the syrup).
Roll the dough out into a 1/4 inch thick sheet and lay it out in a lightly buttered 10-inch diameter low sided pan. Line the dough with oven proof paper, fill the pan with dried beans, and bake the dough for 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, wash the figs and cut them in half. Also, stir the apricot jelly into the syrup, and let it cook down for a few minutes.
Remove and discard the beans and the paper, and place the pie crust on a serving dish. Carefully fill it with the cream, and then lay out the figs, inner side up, in a decorative pattern. Sprinkle them with the candied orange peel, brush the fruit with the syrup, and let the crostata cool.
Serves 4-6.
To make the pastry cream, whip the yolks with 4 tablespoons of sugar, incorporate the corn starch, and then the milk and the Gran Marnier. Cook the cream over a low flame, stirring gently but constantly (if this is the first time you are doing this, you may wish to cook it over a double boiler; do not let it burn) until it thickens. Blanch the orange peels three times in boiling water, changing the water each time, and pat them dry. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 360·.
Make a syrup by boiling the remaining sugar in a cup of water. Add the orange peel, and simmer it until it has become translucent; drain the strips on wax paper, and let them cool (do not throw out the syrup).
Roll the dough out into a 1/4 inch thick sheet and lay it out in a lightly buttered 10-inch diameter low sided pan. Line the dough with oven proof paper, fill the pan with dried beans, and bake the dough for 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, wash the figs and cut them in half. Also, stir the apricot jelly into the syrup, and let it cook down for a few minutes.
Remove and discard the beans and the paper, and place the pie crust on a serving dish. Carefully fill it with the cream, and then lay out the figs, inner side up, in a decorative pattern. Sprinkle them with the candied orange peel, brush the fruit with the syrup, and let the crostata cool.
Serves 4-6.
