As soon as Oysterponds farm figs are available in late summer, I look forward to putting them on the menu at the North Fork Table & Inn. It’s the perfect complement for ice cream, shortcake, pound cake or piled into a tart shell and topped with whipped cream! The combination of fresh and cooked figs creates a deep, layered flavor.
2 pints fresh figs
1 whole clove (the spice)
2 strips of orange peel
1 ¾ cups of port wine
1 ¼ cups dry red wine
1 cup of sugar
½ cinnamon stick
1 star anise
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Trim the stems of the figs. Set aside seven of the most ripe figs. Quarter the rest and put them in a large saucepan.
2. Stick the clove into 1 strip of the orange peel and add it to the saucepan along with the other strip of orange peel, the port, red wine, sugar, cinnamon stick and star anise. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.
3. Pour the fig mixture into a 9×13-inch baking pan and place it in the oven. Bake the figs stirring occasionally until the mixture is slightly syrupy and the figs take on a deep red color, about two hours. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the fig mixture cool.
4. Meanwhile, quarter the remaining seven figs. Stir the quartered fresh figs into the compote. Serve at room temperature.
