Port Poached Figs

I was out to lunch in New York City with my best friend when we discovered the awesomeness of port poached figs. The first thing I did when I got home was look up how to make them. All of the recipes I found had sugar added, but the reduced port and figs are both very sweet, so I decided not to add any and I think you’ll agree that this recipe is still very sweet. I tested this recipe with both dried and fresh figs. Everyone who tried it preferred the dried figs which is actually great news because it means you can enjoy it any time of year, not just during fig season!

We had them as an appetizer along with some fresh fruit and cheese, but these can easily be served as a dessert alone or as a topping for ice cream or cake.

Makes: 4-6 servings

Preparation time: 5m
Cooking time: 5m
Total time: 1h5m

Ingredients:

  • 1 vanilla bean
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 1 750ml bottle port
  • 12 dried black figs

Equipment: saucepan

Instructions:

  1. Slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, then scrape out the seeds. Add the bean pod and seeds to a saucepan along with the cinnamon stick, cloves and port.
  2. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until reduced by half (15-20 minutes).
  3. Add the figs, cover and simmer for another 30-40 minutes.
  4. Remove from heat, let the figs cool in the syrup, then they are ready to serve.
  5. Store them in the fridge in their own liquid for up to a week or two.