Crostata di Fichi
Region: Italy, Tuscany
Category: Desserts
Season: Summer
Difficulty: Medium Difficulty
Figs were a favorite during Roman times. The Latin authors Cato, Columella, and Varro all wrote about figs. Pliny wrote about the fig tree that existed in the Rome of his day (23 to 79 AD) under which, according to legend, Romulus and Remus were found suckling milk from the she-wolf. In Italy today figs are not a specialized crop and tend to grow among olive, almond, and citrus trees. This fig tart from Tuscany begins with a special short dough (pasta frolla) which I've written into the recipe. Look for ripe fresh black figs for the tart although green figs are fine. This is a wonderful summer dessert.
Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings
Preparation Time: 1:45 hours in all
For the short dough (pasta frolla)
1 1/2 cups (1/2 pound) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (1/4 pound) sugar
1/4 pound (1 stick) very cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
For the figs and tart
3/4 pound fresh ripe fresh black or green figs, skins removed, flesh chopped
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1. Prepare the short dough by placing the flour, sugar, and butter in a food processor and running into it looks like coarse meal. Add the egg, vanilla, and salt and run briefly until it forms into a mass. Turn into a bowl and knead very briefly to form a ball of dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour while you continue the preparation.
2. Put the figs in a small flame-proof casserole or heavy saucepan with the sugar and water and cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thick like a marmalade, about 30 minutes. Pass the figs through a food mill into a bowl.
3. Preheat the oven to 350º F.
4. Butter the bottom and side of a 10-inch diameter nonstick tart pan with removable bottom. Remove the ball of dough from the refrigerator and cut off three-quarters of the ball. Roll out the portion you cut off, sprinkling liberally with flour so it doesn't stick to the counter surface and turning after each roll, until it is a little larger than the tart pan.
5. Scrape the dough up from the counter surface with a pastry cutter or spatula, then lay the sheet of dough in the tart pan. Don't worry if it breaks or holes appear, just patch them with excess dough. Press the dough into the crimped sides of the tart pan. Once the sheet of dough is in the pan prick it all over with a fork. Spread the fig jam over the entire sheet of dough, spreading more evenly with a rubber spatula. Roll out the remaining dough until it is as thin as the first sheet, then cut into 1/2-inch wide strips, lift them up in the same manner as before, and lay the strips in a latticework pattern, interweaving if you like, over the fig jam.
6. Bake the tart until the edges are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool before serving. Remove the bottom and place the tart on a serving plate to serve.
Posted: 08/03/2007
