Figs in the French Manner

De Nola

To Eat Figs in the French Manner (de Nola)
Take dried figs, the sweetest that you can get, black and white, and remove the stems and wash them with good white wine which is sweet; and when they are very well-cleaned, take an earthenware casserole which is big enough, which has a flat bottom, and cast them inside, stirring them a little; and then put this casserole upon the coals, and well-covered in a manner that it is stewed there. And when they are stewed, and they will have absorbed all of the moisture of the wine, stir them a little, and cast fine spice on top of them; and turn them, stirring in a manner that incorporates that spice in them; and then eat this food; and it is an elegant thing; and it should be eaten at the beginning of the meal.

About 60-80 figs
1 gallon Muscat wine
2-3 tbsp. poudre fines*

1. Separate figs and remove any stems. Place in a large pot.
2. Add wine to cover
3. Simmer gently until figs have plumped up.
4. Keep warm until ready to serve
5. Plate and sprinkle on Poudre fines

*Poudre Fines: Spices for Common Sauce (De Nola)

Three parts cinnamon, two parts cloves, one part ginger, one part pepper, and a little dry coriander, well-ground, and a little saffron if you wish; let everything be well-ground and sifted.

3 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp ground cloves
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp ground pepper
1 pinch coriander
1 pinch saffron, ground

Mix together.

From the files of Jadwiga Zajaczkowa (Jenne Heise), 2004