Jul 30, 2009 4:40 pm US/Eastern
Tony Tantillo: Calimyrna Figs
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CBS 2 HD food reporter Tony Tantillo.
CBS
This week's tip is with one of my favorite figs. I love the black Mission Figs, but when I see Calimyrna figs in the market, the green figs, ah…I'm telling ya, I buy these by the baskets, like four or five at a time, because when you eat these when they're nice and ripe they're sweet and they're delicious. They're great in so many different recipes, especially stuffed with Gorgonzola cheese and even on the grill with balsamic vinegar just reducing on them. OK…I'm going to make some right now.
Let's talk about selection and storage.
When you buy them, make sure they have more of yellow color than a green color all the way around that is so important, and nice and plump.
When you bring them home, you want to take the figs if you bought them in a container like this, take them out of the container, but don't store them in the refrigerator just yet. Store them on the counter and wait until they're nice and ripe. You can tell because they'll get nice and yellow and a little bit of the gum will start coming out and that's the sugar from that fig. That's when that fig is ready, ready to enjoy. That's when they're at their best, loaded with fiber and other vitamins our body needs.
Calimyra figs…enjoy them in the summertime; it doesn't get much better than that.
Cornish Hens Stuffed With Brandied Figs
Used as a stuffing, figs add a wonderful, exotic flavor to small birds. Poussin are baby chickens that weigh a pound; they're quite delicious but expensive. Cornish hens are a worthy substitute but run a little larger, so when using Cornish hens, adjust cooking time accordingly.
Serves 4
4 to 6 medium to large figs
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup port
4 cups rock salt or other coarse salt
Four 1-pound poussin or Cornish hens, giblets removed and rinsed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Cut figs in quarters. In a small bowl mix allspice with port. Put figs in a resealable plastic bag, add marinade. Close, and shake back and forth a few times; marinate 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 500°F. Spread rock salt evenly in a shallow roasting pan just large enough to hold all the hens without crowding. (Salt should be to a depth of about 1/2 inch.)
3. Loosen the skin of the hens and season with kosher salt and black pepper. Season cavity with salt and pepper; stuff with drained figs. (If using small hens, you may have a few figs left over. Don't overstuff the hens. Brush the flesh of the hens with fig marinade and truss them. Brush any remaining marinade over hens.
4. Place the hens on the salt in the roasting pan (see tip). Put hens in the oven 30 to 35 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160°F in the deep thigh of the hens. Remove and let rest 10 minutes, covered with foil. Untruss and serve.
Cooking Tip
Roasting poultry, from Cornish hens to turkey, on rock salt (or other salt) minimizes grease splattering. Just scrape off any salt that may have attached to the bottom of the birds and discard the grease-soaked salt from the roasting pan.
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