Balsamic Fig Glazed Chicken

This recipe was originally published to the blog in 2016. I’m giving the post an update. The sauce for this recipe is sweet and tangy. You can make this any time of year using fig jam, but I like making it in fall, when I start craving richer meals.

You never know where inspiration will find you, and this recipe is proof: some years ago, on a road trip, we stopped at a grocery store for a quick meal. I ended up ordering balsamic fig-glazed chicken from the deli counter. My expectations of the deli counter meal were low, so imagine my surprise when I took the first bite and found the glaze to be complex and full of flavor. This make-it-at-home version is far better than that deli version, a perfect dish for a dinner party on a crisp fall evening. Serve with a spicy red wine and this salad from Saveur (I use Asian Pears rather than apples for extra crunch).

Balsamic Fig Glazed Chicken

Published October 6, 2020 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 60 minutes

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Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs (Breasts also work, but I prefer thighs because they tend to stay juicier; Chicken breasts tend to take longer to cook, so adjust accordingly)

2 tablespoons butter (or coconut oil)

1 medium-sized shallot

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup red wine

1/4 cup fig jam

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Salt & pepper

4-6 slices of Provolone cheese

Directions:

1. Start the sauce: Mince shallots and garlic. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in saucepan. When butter is sizzling, add shallots and garlic. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt, and sauté until shallots are translucent and starting to brown.
2. Pour 1/4 cup red wine into sauce pan. Bring to simmer. Cook for 5-6 minutes, until liquid has reduced by about half. Add 1/4 cup fig jam and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, and stir to incorporate. Simmer sauce, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Season chicken generously with salt. Cook the chicken: heat remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. When butter is sizzling, place chicken in pan. Cook on one side, without moving, for 5-6 minutes, or until chicken easily releases from the pan (if chicken sticks, it likely needs to cook a bit longer). Spoon about half of the fig sauce over the cooked side of the chicken, and continue to cook on the second side for 5 more minutes, or until and internal temperature of chicken reaches 165°F. Spoon remaining fig sauce over chicken, and top each piece with a slice of provolone. Place lid on pan, and cook for 1-2 more minutes, until cheese is melted.
4. Transfer to serving plates, and season to taste with freshly cracked black pepper.
5. Note: You can also grill the chicken if that’s more your style. The cheese will melt very quickly if you go this route, so watch closely.

White Wine Sangria with Figs and Pears

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Have you even tried Verdejo wine? It's nutty and fruity but not too sweet. It's my new favorite summer wine, and I'm usually more of a red wine person. Verdejo with figs works well because the wine is subtle enough to let the fig flavor come through. The nuttiness of the wine is also a nice compliment to the fruit. And what's better than eating a fig straight? Eating a fig juicy with your new favorite wine. Chilled with pears, a few allspice berries, and a tiny bit of cinnamon, this is the beginning of fall in a glass – the evenings are still warm, but there’s a hint of cool breeze, and the best crops of the year.

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White Wine Sangria with Figs and Pears

Published August 31, 2014 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 4-6   |    Total Time: 10 active minutes

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Ingredients:

• 5 figs
• 1 bartlette pear
• 1 lemon
• 1 three-inch cinnamon stick
• 2 whole allspice berries 
• 3 whole cloves
• 2 cups white wine, preferably Verdejo (A drier Sauvignon Blanc may be a good sub)
• 1-1/2 cup pear juice (apple juice will work in a pinch)
• 2 cups sparkling mineral water or peach-pear La Croix

Directions:

1. Wash the fruit. Half the figs, and slice the lemon into thin slices, removing seeds. Core the pear  and slice it into very thin slices. 
2. Put the sliced fruit and whole spices in the bottom of a jar or pitcher. Pour the wine and juice over fruit. Close the jar. Let the wine marinate with the fruit for at least two hours in the fridge.
3. To serve: Spoon fruit into glasses, pouring wine to fill half the glass, and top off with sparkling water. 

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Warm Spinach Salad with Figs & Butternut Squash (Paleo & Vegan)

Update: I updated this recipe with new images on 8/18/2018. Same recipe, just better photography! :) 

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It seems like the blog world is sprinting at a million miles an hour. When I first started religiously food-stalking in high school, the blog world was small. While I have no idea how much it has grown, it certainly seems like there are more than ten bloggers today for every blogger there was in the mid-2000s. It's more than the numbers: the opportunities for bloggers to do things outside of their blog have erupted, too. Back then there were clubs like the Daring Bakers and support groups like Adopt-a-Blogger (my blog at the time was adopted by Jordan of Kitchen Karate). A few, standout bloggers seemed to be going above and beyond, scoring deals to author cookbooks, or speak on talk shows. These days, bloggers blog like it's nobody's business. Actually, they blog like it is their business and in a few cases, it really is.

You're probably wondering why I'm rambling about this. It turned into more of a ramble than I intended. But when I started Foraged Dish, I was shocked by the number of opportunities that immediately presented themselves to me. 

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Warm Spinach Salad with Figs & Butternut Squash

Published September 1, 2014 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 3   |    Active Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 to 2 cups raw butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, and cubed

1 clove garlic, minced

6 figs, halved (I use Brown Turkish Figs or Black Mission Figs, but feel free to experiment)

1/4 small red onion, diced small

3-4 huge handfuls fresh spinach (baby OR chopped normal spinach)

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds (Also delicious with candied pecans!)

Directions:

1. Heat the coconut oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat until it sizzles. Place the fig halves flesh-side down in the hot oil, and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown and the sugars begin to caramelize. Remove from pan, set aside.
2. Place the red onion, butternut squash and garlic in the pan with the oil. Sauté until the squash it is soften through and browning on the edges (to get a nice sear on the squash, stir only every few minutes, allowing each side to crisp up before turning).
3. Turn off the stove, and add the spinach to the skillet. Stir, and allow the spinach begins to wilt from the residual heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Scoop everything into your serving dish. Arrange the figs over the top of the salad, and sprinkle with toasted almonds.