Rosie Makes A Figgin' Great Sauce.

 

The Hawthornes have a fig tree 

which is producing mightily right now.

My first offering of figs is

a savory sauce.

Ingredients:

a bowl full of figs (2 dozen or so)

2 cups red wine

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

2 TB honey

2 cinnamon sticks

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

  

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan

and cook over medium low, simmering,

for about 40 minutes, or until mixture is reduced by half.

Two cups wine into the pan.

Whenever you cook with a wine,

use a good wine.

Never, ever buy "cooking wine."

You don't drink a "cooking wine,"

so don't cook with it.

Buy a wine for cooking that you would actually drink.

Remember, you're reducing and intensifying the flavors of the wine,

so don't use a wine you wouldn't drink.

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

Toss in the figs.

Bear with me.

You know how I like my action shots.

OK.

I'm done.

Add in rosemary and cinnamon sticks.

Add in honey.

Cook over medium low.

Whenever I reduce a liquid,

I use a chopstick and mark the level.

Simmer until reduced by half.

You won't believe what my kitchen smells like.

Remove cinnamon sticks and rosemary

and let mixture cool a bit,

then pour mixture  into processor.

Don't worry if a few rosemary leaves are left in.

Process away until smooth.

Add in three TB unsalted butter.

Process.

Velvety, warm, rich savory fig sauce.

The cinnamon and rosemary elements are excellent.

Now that we have a fig sauce,

what do we do with it?

Rosie's going with pork chops.

Pork loins were on sale at Food Lion.

$1.99/pound.

The only seasoning you need

is freshly ground salt and pepper.

I cooked these in a little peanut oil and unsalted butter.

Butter is for flavor.

Peanut oil is to raise the smoke point,

so you can cook over high heat.

These were just shy of an inch thick.

Cook over medium high heat 2 1/2 minutes each side.

Do not overcook pork.

You want it slightly pink in the middle.

Don't worry.

You will not get trichinosis.

You do not want it grayish-white and cooked to hell.

This fig sauce pairs perfectly with pork.

I loved these flavors together.

You want something different?

Try this.

You will not be disappointed.