Crostata di Fichi Mandorlati
A pastry reflecting the famous half-roasted, almond-stuffed, bay and anise-perfumed figs that Puglia exports to all of Europe, the ripe sensuality of it merits a true hunger, one not dulled by the prologue of some long, winy supper. Nibble only at a plate of fresh cheeses before it. Better, present it with no prelude at all.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
The Crust
The Filling
Preparation
The Crust
Step 1
In the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, pulse the almonds with the fennel and aniseeds, breaking them down into coarse crumbs. Add 1 cup flour, the butter, sugar, and salt and pulse ten or twelve times until it takes on the texture of coarse crumbs. Add the egg mixture through the feed tube and pulse eight or ten times, just until the pastry begins to take on a cohesive form.
Step 2
Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured work space and gently form it into a ball. Flatten the ball and press the dough onto the surfaces of a buttered 10-inch tart tin with a removable bottom. Cover the pastry-lined tin in plastic wrap and freeze it for 1/2 hour.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Step 4
Prick the surface of the pastry with a fork and bake it for 12 to 14 minutes or until it has firmed and is of the palest gold color. Cool the pastry thoroughly.
The Filling
Step 5
In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, bay leaf, aniseeds and fennel seeds, and, over a lively flame, bring to a simmer. Lower the flame a bit and permit the cream to infuse the aromatics and to reduce its volume by one-third. Remove the pan from the flame, cover it, and permit it to cool. Strain the cream and add the egg and the confectioners’ sugar, blending the components carefully.
Step 6
Starting at their bases, vertically slit the figs almost in two, leaving the stem end intact. Stuff each fig with an almond, press the halves together, and stand each fig upright over the base of the pastry.
Step 7
Carefully pour the scented custard around the figs. Dust the top of the crostata with the brown sugar and bake it at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until the custard is set and crusted a dark gold from the sugar, the stems of the figs are slightly charred, and the edges of the pastry nicely colored. Cool the crostata for 10 minutes on a rack. Remove the tin’s sides and permit the crostata to cool an additional 20 minutes. Present it then or serve it at room temperature.
