I have said many times that dishes do not have to be difficult to prepare nor costly to be delicious. A simple bowl of poached dried figs nestled on a cloud of luscious, creamy, ricotta is richly satisfying. Served warm, this is a comforting dessert on a chilly winter evening. And paired with a great cup of coffee and a few fig and almond biscotti, it is also a wonderful way to start the day!
Ingredients:
- 2 Oranges, peels and zest
- 1 cup dried whole figs (about 12)
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Ricotta
- Using a vegetable peeler, peel long strips of peel from one orange. Save the orange for another use. In a small saucepan, add the water with the orange peels and the figs. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook 20 minutes.
- With a slotted spoon, remove the figs and peels. Transfer the figs to a bowl and discard the orange peels. Add the honey to the saucepan and cook uncovered 10 minutes.
- To serve, spoon some ricotta into individual serving dishes. Place whole figs (you could chop them if you prefer but, I think they make a nice presentation left whole) on top of the ricotta. Drizzle a spoonful or two of the poaching liquid over the figs, letting its orange-honey syrupy goodness drip down into the ricotta. Finish the dish with a dusting of orange zest to enhance the look and add a fresh citrus element.
