Maurice Coscuella's Figs in Whiskey

A year ago, James Salter wrote a beautiful piece in the NY Times Magazine about his culinary experiences in France while he was stationed there in the 1950's. Accompanying the article was an alluringly simple recipe for whiskey-soaked figs, courtesy of the chef at La Ripa Alta in Plaisance. The recipe sounded glamorous yet easy. Who doesn't have a packet of dried figs lying around the house? And if you don't, they're easy to procure. As for whiskey, shouldn't everyone have some on hand? For hot toddys, grumpy boyfriends, and English fruitcakes.

All you do is dissolve some sugar in a quart of water, and boil the figs in the syrup for 20 minutes. Then you dump out some of the hot liquid, let the rest cool, and stir in the whiskey. This boozy, amber bath then rests until room temperature before it is consumed. I trust it keeps for quite some time. The apartment was perfumed with the honeyed smell of softened figs and a hazy fug of alcohol. Not bad for a Wednesday night.

It's the perfect dessert after a heavy winter meal because it does double-time as a dessert and a digestif. And it's definitely very grown-up. Depending on how much syrup you discard, you can make this as mellow or as sharp as you like. But now, with a very small voice, I must concede that the dessert's just a bit too adult for me. Something about all that liquor sort of turned me off - I like my figs plain, I realized. But that's my own shortcoming.

Comments

[Alanna]

Off topic but would you please make the mac&cheese (the one using uncooked noodles) from yesterday's NYT so that I can live virtuously/vicariously and without what could become an obsession? Really!!

[Lindy]

Luisa-There is nothing at all wrong with plain figs. I love them too.
I second the motion about the mac and cheese from Wedesday's NYtimes. I also am very curious about the uncooked noodles one.

[Luisa]

Uncooked noodles? This sounds like a challenge... ;)

[johnaka]

thanks for reminding us of this article. I tried them last night and had rave reviews. I used only half the booze called for, and used Makers Mark instead of scotch. I threw in an additional little souvenir +bottle of Glenfiddich 18 yo. With a dollop of slightly sweetened and flavored whipped cream, the figs were voted one of the best desserts these guys had ever eaten. Go figure!

[Luisa]

Johnaka - I'm so glad you had such success with them! I knew that other people would like them better than I did (in fact, I ended up jarring mine and giving them to friends), but it sounds like you had a real hit on your hands! I'm so pleased.