Although my childhood fig repertoire largely was limited to the Newton variety, figs have become an annual autumnal treat, usually pared with grand portions of butter. Last year, I made a fig-hazelnut pasta from Sfoglia in New York. This year, I borrowed Melissa Clark’s New York Times recipe for a fig tart with caramelized onions, rosemary and Stilton, the crust of which is butter-packed puff pastry.
Initially, I planned this for a weeknight meal, but I failed to read the preparation, which called for cooking/caramelizing the onions 30 to 40 minutes. Oh well. We saved this for a slow Saturday.
Sweet figs and onions paired beautifully with funky Stilton. And though a heavy handful of pine nuts got lost in all the tart’s big flavors, the piney rosemary held its own. The crust was delicious and decadent, but I might experiment by making this into a galette—which would be cheaper than buying quality puff pastry and easier than preparing my own.
For a more casual version (sans the butter guilt), I also found this recipe for grilled fig and prosciutto pizza from bakin’ and eggs.