Top Chef with Teanna: Fig Tart

I am moving back to NY this week. Actually I am moving back this afternoon, right after I leave work. RIGHT. AFTER. I'm picking up my dog from doggy daycare, driving past the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Washington Monument, and Capitol Building one last time, and heading to the city where my heart has been for the past two years. 

Can you tell I'm excited to move back home?

Therefore, I have to go a bit out of order, as the 9th episode was 3 dishes that I just didn't have the time to make. So I skipped ahead to the finale and made Harold's Fig Tart that was a part of his winning menu.  

I'll tell you honestly, at first bite, I wasn't crazy about this. I didn't see what the big deal was, but chalked it up to the cheftestant's often admitted struggles with desserts. But then I realized that I forgot to top it with fig spread. So I grabbed my knife, slathered a thin layer across the top, and took a bite.

My head started spinning.  This was taken to a whole new level with the fig jam. A whole. new. level. I used Dorie Greenspan's Sweet Tart dough recipe and this tart turned out perfectly and paired perfectly with the variety of cheeses. I can't express enough how much I loved it. I can't stop thinking about it.  And the best part was, I could have a small slice (and I mean small... one or two ounces) and be completely satisfied. Pure perfection. 

Harold's Roasted Fig Tart w/ Trio of Italian Cheeses

Sweet Tart Crust - Adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup finely ground pine nuts
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon (9 tablespoons; 4 1/2 ounces) very cold (or frozen) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk

Procedure

Put the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Scatter the pieces of butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is coarsely cut in—you should have pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and some the size of peas. Stir the yolk, just to break it up, and add it a little at a time, pulsing after each addition. When the egg is in, process in long pulses—about 10 seconds each—until the dough, which will look granular soon after the egg is added, forms clumps and curds. Just before you reach this stage, the sound of the machine working the dough will change—heads up. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and, very lightly and sparingly, knead the dough just to incorporate any dry ingredients that might have escaped mixing.

Butter a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.

Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Don't be too heavy-handed – press the crust in so that the edges of the pieces cling to one another, but don't press so hard that the crust loses its crumbly texture.

Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer, before baking.

Butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil (or use nonstick foil) and fit the foil, buttered side down, tightly against the crust. (Since you froze the crust, you can bake it without weights.) Put the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake the crust for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil. If the crust has puffed, press it down gently with the back of a spoon (or prick it with the tip of a small knife). 

For the Fig Tart

1 lb. Black Mission Figs  1 oz Water  1 9" Pine Nut Tart 1 cup Heavy Cream  2 eggs  ½ cup Sugar  1 Vanilla Bean  1 oz. Fig Jam  8 oz. Pecorino Tartufo  8 oz. Gorgonzola Dolce  8 oz. Taleggio  1 oz. Honey  10 slices Sour Dough Baguette toasted  Assembly: In a sauce pot cook the figs, water, sugar and vanilla beans till the figs are cooked. Place in a blender, add the cream and eggs. Blend briefly. Bake the tart shells at 325 for 15 minutes or till golden brown. Fill the tart shells with the fig mixture and bake for another 25-30 minutes (the recipe says 12, but I baked it for an extra 15 minutes because it did not seem set to me) or till the custard has formed. Portion the tarts in 2 oz. wedges. Top with the fig jam. Cut the cheese into 1 oz. pieces. Garnish the taleggio with the honey. Serve with the toasted bread.

 

Comments

[Mike]

Fig Tarts - on my list of "I want to try one"! I'm not sure how it's supposed to taste, but it looks delicious! Course, anything with heavy cream in it.... :) That jam looks heavenly.... I'm copying the recipe - cheese, cream, figs.... sounds like a winning tart. Nice job (on the eve of a move, no less). Good luck with that!

[Lauren]

Looks fantastic! Good luck on your move :)

[Phyllis (me HUNGRY!)]

What a great dessert idea, figs go so nicely with cheese! So when you're finally back in NY make sure you drop by Perilla and visit Harold in person :)

[Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction]

Good luck with your drive from DC to NYC! Your tart looks absolutely beautiful!

[grace]

i hope you have/had a safe trip! and kudos to harold and you for making an amazing and truly unique little tart!

[Jessie]

have a safe trip back to NYC Challlahhh

I have to give you major props for making that tart in the middle of your big moving process. It came out beautiful and just by looking at it my taste buds are tingling!

[ingrid]

Love readin' your post. You're great at making everything interesting.

Be safe on your drive home(NY)!
~ingrid

[jenn]

I still need to try figs. What's stopping me? I don't know. btw...how do you get your slices to come out so perfectly triangle?

Have fun on your move. ;-)

[CarolPeterman]

I hope your move goes well, how exciting! I am sure you have been making lists of all the places you will go to eat. I had forgotten about so many of these dishes from Top Chef. Fig Tart sounds great.

[Natasha - 5 Star Foodie]

A lovely tart, I definitely need to try this as I've been meaning to make something with figs. Good like with the move!

[Lauryn]

I am making this!! I am definitely 100% making this!! It looks unreal!!

[Muneeba]

You lucky duck ... moving back to the city that's got my heart too! Hopefully I'll also be able to move back there someday. And be able to afford it too ;)
The tart looks NUMMMMMY!

[vibi]

After the vacations... the pc busted on me... so I missed that beautiful tart if yours!

Never had so much figs at once... so I can only dream of the marvelous taste they must give in a tart! Bravo!

[Jennifer]

YUM! This looks delicious!!!

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