2008-05-02
White Figs Stuffed with
Danish Blue Cheese
Perfectly Paired
with Sparkling Wine
“My salute to spring is to lift a tall flute of sparkling wine high in the air while wishing good health and happiness to my companions,” says Executive Chef Ty Turner of Café Garré at Garré Winery in Livermore. “As I pick and choose the ingredients for each dish that is destined to be featured on our menus I am often surprised at how some unlikely-seeming combinations become more exciting with a generous dollop of Garré wine as an ingredient or by pouring a glass of the just right wine to sip alongside and make both the food and the wine more tantalizing.”
One of these surprise pairings hit his taste buds when he was developing his recipe for White Figs Stuffed with Danish Blue Cheese. Cheese can sometimes be difficult to match to wine, but when he placed his Spinach Salad with Raspberry Sparkling Wine Sauce beside the figs, the experience was even more delightful than he had hoped or expected.
Just reading through the list of unusual ingredients could prove daunting for a timid chef, but Chef Turner was delighted with the way the dryness of the sparkling wine contrasted with the sweetness of the raspberries in the sauce, while the earthiness of the figs and the bubbles in the wine gave added interest to the richness of the Danish cheese.
Because a good part of the enjoyment of any food is its appearance, Chef Turner demonstrates in an easy-to-follow video at the website: www.garrewinery.com, each step of the preparation, demonstrating how to stuff the figs so they appear plump and inviting with their fringe of cheese peeking out of the opening. Then for a final touch of elegance and brilliance, Chef Turner pours his raspberry sparkling wine sauce over the figs and garnishes each serving with whole raspberries and, if you like, small black figs. This, too, is a salute to the spring season.
Garré Winery is located at 7986 Tesla Road in Livermore and is open Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Café hours are 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (Monday-Friday) and 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Saturday & Sunday). The tasting room is open 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Saturday & Sunday).
For more information, call (925) 371-8200.WHITE FIGS STUFFED WITH
DANISH BLUE CHEESE
Served with Spinach Salad &
Raspberry Sparkling Wine Sauce
• 1 dozen dried whole white figs
• 4 oz. Danish blue cheese
• 1 cup sparkling wine
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 4 oz. raspberries
• 8 oz. baby spinach
• 1 cup vinaigrette
• 2 oz. dried black figs (optional)
Procedure: Make small slit with the tip of a paring knife in the bottom of the figs. Using the handle of a thin wooden spoon, insert into figs, expanding cavity and plumping out the figs. Stuff with a small amount of blue cheese.
Meanwhile, puree raspberries or put through sieve, reserving a few for garnish. Warm sparkling wine and butter in sauté pan over medium heat. Soften figs in hot liquid on all sides about one minute. Transfer figs stuffed side down to ovenproof dish. Pour hot wine-butter mixture over figs and bake in 350° oven for about five minutes. Remove figs to serving dish. Add raspberry puree to hot liquid remaining in pan.
Toss spinach in vinaigrette, place next to figs on serving dish. Pour raspberry-sparkling wine sauce over figs, garnish with whole raspberries and dried black figs.
Honey balsamic Vinaigrette
• 5 tbsp. shallots minced
• 4 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 cups honey
• 4 cups balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. black pepper
• 2 oz. lemon juice
Emulsify
• 6 cups canola oil
• 2 cups olive oil
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