Stuffed Figs with Chicken & Tamarind Sauce
User Reviews
4.9
Stuffed Figs with Chicken & Tamarind Sauce
Description
This recipe fills hollowed fresh figs or softened dried figs with a sautéed mixture of finely chopped onion and diced chicken breast seasoned with ground cardamom, nutmeg, white pepper, cloves, and salt. The spiced chicken filling is cooked gently until white and cooled before stuffing.
The accompanying tamarind sauce involves diluting tamarind paste with hot water, then simmering it with chopped figs, brown sugar, and water until reduced. The sauce blends sweet, sour, and fruity tones, enhancing the natural fig sweetness and savory filling.
After filling, the figs are carefully closed and cooked, uniting the meaty and spicy stuffing with the soft, sweet exterior. This preparation can also have a vegetarian variant replacing chicken with mushrooms, maintaining the rich texture and flavor balance.
Ingredients
- 18 fig fresh or dried, large
- olive oil
The filling:
- 1 onion medium. chopped finely
- olive oil for frying
- 1 chicken breast cut into 1/4 inch cubes, whole
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom freshly ground
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
- pinch cloves ground
- salt
The sauce:
- 100 grams tamarind paste (can be purchased in health food stores or Middle Eastern stores)
- 2 figs fresh or dried
- 1 liter water ice
- 2 ½ tablespoons brown sugar
Alternatives:
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar can be used instead of tamarind paste, juice from 1/2 lemon
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice can be used instead of tamarind paste, juice from 1/2 lemon
Instructions
The Filling
- Fry the onion in a small amount of olive oil.
- Add the cubed chicken and spices.
- Stir until the chicken turns white.
- Adjust seasonings.
- Remove from heat.
- Cool.
- * For a vegetarian version, substitute mushrooms for the chicken. Chef Basson recommends a combination of button and oyster mushrooms.
The Sauce
- Dilute the tamarind paste in a saucepan with a little hot water.
- Chop the figs and add them.
- Add the water, cinnamon and brown sugar.
- Bring to a boil.
- Cook until reduced and all flavors have melded.
- Remove from heat.
- * Tamarind comes from the Hebrew: ~tamar hindi~, meaning Indian fig.
Assembly & Cooking
- If using fresh figs, open the tops and hollow them out with a little spoon, taking care not to rip the edges or bottom.
- If using dried figs, simply massage the fig with your fingers to soften and cut a little slit at one end (no need to remove anything).
- Fill with stuffing mixture and close the slit over the stuffing so it doesn’t show.
- Fresh figs: Add to the pot only for the last 10 minutes of cooking the sauce.
- Dried figs: cook for 15-20 minutes, taking care not to let the sauce burn or dry out.
- Sauce should be thick like syrup.
- You can take out the figs and reduce the sauce to the desired consistency before serving.
- Add sugar if the sauce is to tart for you.
Notes
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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